Dragon Ball STEP! (Securing Time's Eternal Prosperity)
by StillNoUsername
Summary: About 3 "colorful" schmucks brimming with potential, all hailing from different timelines and packing some major dark backstories, are snatched from the jaws of death and brought into Conton City. Will they learn to love their new home, get vastly stronger, and make the multiverse a better place? Will they even try? Tune in and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**_Prologue_**

 _In a broken wasteland, a young bandit is blasted with unbearable heat, giving his life for another's in the hopes of their light saving the desolate world._

 _In a blood-stained school, a young officer-in-training slowly bleeds out, slain by one whom she considered a friend for most of her life in a fit of shared betrayal._

 _In a pristine hall, a royal heir is slowly hung in front of his would-be lover, in a proud yet desperate final attempt to reclaim his birthright._

 _Both, through drasticly differing circumstances, all shared one, tragic fate: death._

Or so they thought...

* * *

"Arise, Shenron!" proclaimed a violet-haired swordsman. The 7 balls which stood before him suddenly erupted in a brilliant light, unveiling a dragon of fathomless size. In a mighty, resounding voice, the mythic beast bellowed:

"The usual, I presume?"

"You know it", the swordsman responded. "3 fighters, on the brink of death, with an immense potential for strength and a latent heart of gold-"

"Bring 'em before you, yada yada. I know the drill."

"Hehe", the swordsman sheepishly chuckled, "I just like saying the speech. Thanks, Big Green."

"Don't mention it, kid. Now, if that's all..."

"And a Hetap. Cherry Coke. Please."

"... Hrrrgh."

As the beverage fell, Shenron erupted into one glorious final light before announcing his closing statement...

 _ **YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED!**_

* * *

 **Yo. OP here.**

 **I'm still not that comfortable with all the mechanics of this site, so forgive some of my mistakes. Critique is a mandate for improvement.**

 **Anyway, this story is kinda special to me considering I've mentally worked on it for 2 YEARS. Not exaggerating when I say that, either. Every day, constantly finding new influences and new ideas for it. It's pretty much my dream, I'd say. (Geez, that sounds pathetic, but it's whatever.) It's a passion project I made with the hopes of putting something unique out there, a character-driven story centered around Conton's Finest as 9 new recruits (that's the plan anyway) get used to a new home, mess up, grow in strength, right historical inaccuracies, mess up, develop bonds, go on galactic hijinks, grow as people, STILL MESS UP, and work to save all time-space. New faces, old faces, even faces not even from the franchise (I'm a fan of LordCaldrin45's works, check him out) all in a way that (almost) makes sense and is fun to read. A giant love letter to really good works in general; this'll have inspiration from Samurai Champloo, Hajime no Ippo, Gurren Lagann, Yu Yu Hakusho, Fist of the North Star, Baki, just... A lot. Character depth will be a mainstay, as well.**

 **I talked for a while here, hehe. Sorry for the incoherence, I'm just nervous. I plan on working on this for a long time, so for those interested, stick around.**

 **See ya.**


	2. Flash-Forward a Bit! Meet Neo and Dina!

**Disc One: New to Conton! Meet Neoru and Dina!**

 _Conton City._

 _It fuckin sucks._

( _ **OP: '2 Can Win' by J Dilla)**_

 _Back where we left off, our 'mysterious swordsman' called forth the mystic dragon Shenron. With his help he was able to summon 3 kool kidz with the potential to do and, probably more important, get, good. Forwarding about 2 days, we now follow the whereabouts of 2/3s of this trio as they try to get familiar to this new terrain. And speaking of..._

By a particularly shady spot in the Recreational Sector, two bushy-tailed fellows pushed a slightly less buff bushy-tailed fellow into a wall.

"What's wrong ya fuckin' dweeb? Too chicken to fight back? Leave that Saiyan pride at home or did you just down some pussy juice on your way outta Bitch City?"

"C-come on, Choy, I just want to head home! There's no reason for this senseless violence!"

 _These bushy-tailed folk are known as Saiyans. Or Saiya-Jin, pick your poison. Anyway, they're the resident Warrior Race and prominent species in Conton. Each seems like they've got their own stories to tell, and in each one, they're the main characters. Tons of famous - and infamous - faces in spacetime belong to the Saiyan race, including the renowned Son Goku and Vegeta. But we'll get back to these guys later._

"Gods, Fenel, you're pathetic!" groaned the woman of the pair. "I've seen bigger testicles on Namekians!"

"Why are you guys so mean to me?" Fenel pleaded. No, he isn't the protagonist of this story. He's over there.

"Hey, assholes!"

"HUH!?" the Saiyan pair roared in unison, turning their backs in perfect sync.

There stood Neoru.

One of the newest additions to this bizarre town, Neoru's a 5'7, 15 year old human. He wore a dark-grey, stitched-to-hell and damaged vest/duster hybrid over a formerly white, equally dingy and torn undershirt advertising some sort of fast food joint. His capri were beige-esque and baggy, and his feet were equipped with brown, worn running shoes that were all the rage in the 770s. Most peculiar, though, was what was on his back; covering the crude dragon stitching on his back was a backpack that, while serving as a makeshift sheathe for a curved, oddly silver-esque and blatantly used sword, still notably carried things like food.

"Something wrong, human?" slowly growled the woman named Kara.

Neoru shifted his dangerous, violet, voidish eyes in her direction and spoke:

 _ **"Do you know where a bathroom is?"**_

"H-Huh?" muttered Choy, taken aback by the strange kid's anticlimactic request.

"fuckin huh me-DO YOU KNOW WHERE A BATHROOM IS?"

"A...bathroom."

Fenel attempted to acquire some assistance regarding his current predicament. "H-help?" he stammered in a voice too soft to be heard.

"Jeez, i-it's like... the thing you go to when you need to take a squat or piss, so you don't have to go on the ground? They have a lot of those here, right?"

"...I, err..." Kara slowly pointed toward the Business Sector. "Most restrooms over there usually aren't that occupied this time of day. Try that."

"Mhm, thanks." Neoru made a brisk jog in the direction of the building cluster before being stopped. "Hey, wait a minute!" Choy shouted. "I, no, WE aren't just gonna let you get away after that! Get back here!"

"Huh? No, it's whatever," Neoru casually brushed the two aside before making a break for the Business Sector.

"I said get back-"

" **HEY!** " a female voice blared from afar, capturing the two Saiyans' attention.

"Let that kid alone!"

This is Dina.

"I meant... leave... shit!"

She's also a Saiyan. And a human. She's half-and-half, really. About 16 and 5'6 in height, she wore a red tank top hoodie adored by light-red highlights over a blue, long-sleeved undershirt. Her lower body was topped with sky-blue jeans and a pair of black-green-white sneakers. A spiky, fringed brunette bob cut - some of it coming down her back and over her shoulders, some off her forehead in thick bangs - nestled atop her head, and ruby-red eyes narrowed in anger at the two troublemakers. She had an elegant, pristine accent, one that was overshadowed by her thuggish way of tone and speech. She also happens to be our second protagonist, and a new recruit to Conton City.

"Want another shot at that entrance, hero?" Kara retorted, pissing off Dina even further.

"Heh, as if, you walking pine tree!" (Although Saiyans share the trait of ludicrous hairstyles, Dina's hair was better by just barely.) "One take's all I need! Now step off the kid, prick! Unless you wanna end up on the floor!"

"You sure talk big, kid. Don't you have school or something?"

"Oh I am just a riot to you, huh?"

Choy decided to step in. "Yyyyep. That's a pretty good description-"

Dina's foot cut off the retort, sending Choy reeling back in pain and Kara reeling in shock.

"You... you cheap bitch!" Choy roared. "I'm gonna send you to the ER!"

Dina smirked as she took up a pseudo-boxing stance. "I'll knock the both of you out, no sweat!"

"T-THANKS!" Fenel yelled as he scurried off, catching the attention of Dina's ego.

"Huh-yeah!" Dina coyly laughed, turning towards the sheepish Saiyan and dropping her guard. "No prob-"

* * *

Dina woke up in the resident ER.

Neoru was observing the pictures in a magazine while simultaneously attempting to learn how to read. Noticing Dina's ever-so slight movement, he looked towards to bed at two hate-ridden irises boring a hole through his head.

"Maybe... if I look at him hard enough... his head'll... explode..."

"You uh... you ok there, buddy?"

She thought back to the image of Neoru scampering off at her time of definitely not need. She growled internally and cursed his name. "Hate... hate all two'a ya... Mrrph!" Dina briefly recoiled in pain due to injuries. She let out a sigh and looked upwards at a slow-spinning ceiling fan as her mind took her back to about 2 days earlier, when this bizarre fiasco began...

* * *

 **Yo! OP Here.**

 **So I wanted to address a few more things I never got the chance to last time we talked.**

 **So for this story, I'm gonna be changing some stuff about the main series. Don't worry, it won't be Earth shattering changes or anything. It'll just be stuff to add lore to the story or depth to existing characters. Primary events to the DB continuity will still play out the same (minor changes are inevitable, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there).**

 **Also, sorry for the slow build. Trying to set a pace, you know? Trust me, it was gonna be a LOT more boring, but I changed how the story would kick off last-minute. Remember, criticism is encouraged, so long as it's critique. Naw, screw that, as long as it's either critique or funny.**

 **Next chapter'll be covering our missing 3rd big guy and royal dude, as well as covering the events soon after the 3 got transported. It'll also explain the human situation and halfbreed potential, so...that's nice. So if you're there, stay tuned.**

 **See ya.**


	3. Rewind! Alright Everyone, Introductions!

**Disc 1 Part 2**

 _Where we left off, Neoru hightailed it to a local bathroom and left Dina to fend for herself like a true hero. Dina was nearly knocked into a coma and began to hallucinate a flashback, albeit a helpful one that'll help establish characters and give the story a bit more solid ground. Speaking of which..._

" ** _YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED! FAREWELL!"_**

The swordsman, clad in a black trench coat and sporting long, light-purple hair in a half-ponytail style, took a sip of his cherry Hetap as he waited for a few moments.

As he waited, 3 speeding blue lights came crashing down before him.

"Is it just me, or does this process get slower every time?" the swordsman thought to himself. The lights held in place, and bodies began to materialize. One was a boy in nigh shredded wears, with bruised skin to boot. Another was a teenage girl in a uniform with the words "YPD" etched onto them, a fist-sized hole jutting through it showcasing a sizeable bruise on the right of her stomach. The final body was a large, tailed young man in a fancy, futuristic-yet-fur laced and sigiled armor indicating some sort of status, a faint print of what looked like a large, segmented tail firmly grafted around his neck.

The girl began to blink repidly before springing upward with a screech. " **GAH!** " Her breathing was all over the place, and tears sprang out her eyes. She began turning her head at breakneck speeds, desperately attempting to get a hold of what was real, and what had just happened. Soon, her eyes fixed upon the swordsman, standing a few meters away.

"Hey" he said in a calm manner. Despite the sentiment, she still looked at him as of she were a frightened animal, eyes agape. The only word she could just barely stammer out was "What?"

"I'll explain everything in a moment in order to save time. In the meanwhile, I'm gonna need you to calm down."

The uniformed girl's expression slowly but surely escalated from scared, to confused, to annoyed, to livid. "WHAT!?" she exclaimed.

"Huh? What'd I say-" he pleaded in bewilderment before being promptly cut off by the raging woman. "HOW THE ACTUAL FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO 'CALM DOWN' AFTER WHAT JUST HAPPENED? WHAT, AM I JUST GONNA THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS AND HAVE THE TRAUMA JUST DISAPPEAR, LIKE THAT? HAVE YOU LOST IT? I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HELL I AM, I HAVE NOT THE SLIGHTEST FUCKING CLUE WHO THE HELL **YOU** ARE, AND I'M QUITE CERTAIN I JUST FUCKING DIED! IF THIS IS SOME FUCKED UP GAMESHOW, I WANT OUT! DO YOU HEAR ME!"

To say the swordsman was taken aback would be an understatement. "Is this chick bipolar?" he thought to himself before hastily explaining himself. "L-look, if it'll help you cool off, I'll save you the wait and cut to the chase now. How's that?"

"I AM COOL!" the girl yelled. "But by all means, give me the rundown like that'll change anything!"

"Jeez, Recruits have gotten upset before, but never **this** upset..." The swordsman internally complained. "Alright, I'll start by giving you something formal to call me. I'm Trunks."

"...Like the swimming undergarments?"

Trunks took a deep breath. "Yep" he calmly confirmed.

The girl let out a giggle before returning a name. "Alrighty then. Name's Dina Spaurk."

Trunks felt a wave of relief brush over him, knowing he diffused yet another panic attack. His bizarre name had that effect on people. "Next, I'll get you up to speed on why you're here. Promise me you'll stay calm for this."

"No."

"Oh."

"But if it'll help make sense of this all, I'd like you to fill me in."

Trunks took another deep breath before explaining in the softest tone possible:

"You're...all...here...because you almost died, but were brought from the brink of death to our current local, Conton City."

Dina froze for a good few seconds before slowly looking around the grass-topped plateau they were currently standing atop.

What seemed like an infinite blue void surrounded her on all sides. A mind-bogglingly giant, sentient dragon statue decorated the cloud-dotted skies with an extra layer of absurdity.

"Ha...ha ha ha..." Dina started before letting out slow, disoriented laughter, as if she'd suffered a concussion at the force this revelation had upon her.

"It all makes sense now... The flying, the super-strength, the golden hair out of nowhere, the big ghost hands coming out of Luna, all the blood..."

"It's all been one big dreeeeam!" Dina exclaimed before letting off more hazy, hysterical giggles, attempting 2 weak steps before falling to the ground.

"You just, uh, take some time off to let this all sink in" Trunks conceited before directing his focus to the tall, tailed man standing over him.

He was a good 6'7 or so, with hardened muscles and hair not too far from a small, groomed lion's mane. He wore a black-goldish armor, complete with an extraterrestrial beast's fur serving as small shoulderpads. A red-gold sigil, which somewhat resembled a cross between a shield and a mast, coupled with a trident crown portruding forth from atop it, was placed across the location of his heart. The suit must've looked sublime at a point, but was now caked with all kinds of ash and debris. He also wielded an ominous aura, floating about him like a fog.

Trunks was unimpressed, and his tone showed. "I'm assuming you heard all of that?"

"I want one."

"Hm?"

"One good reason why I shouldn't obliterate you where you stand."

The man, despite a nigh-foot in size difference, posed no threat to Trunks, but he decided to play along. "Where would you be then?"

The man shrugged. "Hmph, there's truth in those words in suppose."

"Got a name, Big Guy?"

"Voshyo. 12th in my lineage and successor to the Saiyan throne," the proud man announced in a refined and smooth-yet-deep accent.

Trunks was somewhat surprised at the name and position of the young man. "That's odd. Didn't know there was another..." his inner inquiry was cut short by Voshyo's observation. "You look surprised", he said in a smug tone. "Yes, that's right! I am indeed the inheriter of the glorious warrior race's crown! Your urge to kneel is greatly warranted, if not obligatory! Vermin like you are only fit to-"

During Voshyo's boastful tangent, Trunks had an inner epiphany of his own. "He is just like dad. Rght down to the V. Put all that height into his hairline and he's just another grumpy old man."

"-WITH A SIDE OF MAPLE JUICE!"

"What?"

"Hm?"

The 2 suddenly heard rustling as the 3rd new addition to Conton's staff came to.

"Mrrgh..."

The boy rose to the chorus of fuzzy laughter and some tangent about servitude. He opened his eyes to see a man in black and a tall man with stupid hair and a bushy tail.

The initial thought which took a hold of his mind was now, in his eyes, all but confirmed.

"Yeah, this is Hell, right?"

Trunks was immediately taken aback by the sudden, unsurprised tone of voice the boy had. There wasn't a shred of fear in his purple eyes, and his expression was completely careless.

"What the actual-NO! Why would you think this is hell?"

"Well, I'm dead, right? You know the shit I've done. Hell. Not rocket science, jackass."

"Hey!"' Trunks shouted. "You aren't dead, this isn't Hell, and if you seriously expected to end up there, I don't think I WANT to know what you've done!"

"Oh...huh." The boy scratched his head, the situation becoming awkward. "Then, er, how'd I get here?"

Trunks took a 3rd deep breath, his new record for "Most Sighs Taken in an Hour's Time".

"I'll get to it, as soon as you give me a na-"

"Neoru, forgot the last one. Get the 'splainin.

* * *

"Who the hell names their city 'Conton'?"

"The same one responsible for the giamt moving dragon statue you somehow haven't noticed yet."

"Oh. Oh-OOh-OH FUCK THAT THING'S HUGE!"

"Any more questions?"

"Yeah, waddo they have here?"

"Specific. Questions."

"The hell does the ocean hafta do with... I mean, do they got food places or, like, bathrooms and stuff? And those things you sleep-BEDS, beds they got beds here?"

"Yyyep. Pretty much everything you just described, we have here."

"Sick."

"But you can't, and you **won't** , mooch off resources for the rest of your lives."

Trunks raised from his crouched position towards to now-sulking Dina and crossarmed, staring-into-nothing Voshyo. "That goes of all of you! In fact..."

Trunks snapped his fingers, transporting he and the trio from a plateau overlooking Conton to a vast, flat grassland under a dark-blue sky, complete with Aurora Borealis.

"Starting now, I'm gonna see what you're all made of!"

"Eh?"

"What!?"

"Hrrn..."

 ** _From the looks of it, Trunks has issued a sudden sparring match with the 3 recruits! How will these strangers fare against this savvy sword-wielder? Find out in the Next Installment of DB:STEP!_**

* * *

 **Yo! OP here.**

 **That chapter was honestly fun to write! I stalled for a while at some points, but I'm happy with the results. Even better, I actually have a clear idea on how to go forward now, so yippee!**

 **Turns out someone brought back LordCaldrin45 with the Dragon Balls, too, so even bigger plus. Next chapter, we'll be seeing our first fight of the series, how petty Voshyo can be, how angry Dina can become, and also Neoru is there.**

 **Until then, See Ya.**


	4. 2 Way Saiyan Brawl!

**Disc 3: Lemme See What You're Made of! Two-Way Saiyan Brawl!**

 _Where we left off, Trunks had finished catching everyone up to speed, and is now forcing them to fight for his own sick amusement, that bastard. Speaking of which..._

 _"_ Starting right now, I'm gonna see what you're all made of!"

"Eh?" Neoru squeaked in response.

"What!?" Dina recoiled in shock.

"Hrrrn..." Voshyo grinned in anticipation.

"Think of this as a 'pre-test' in regards to your collective knowledge of a few bare essentials. I just wanna know where you all stand."

"Oh, so we ain't tryin'a kill each other" Neoru thought in minor relief. "I can do that."

"Though, considering there's 3 of you..."

Trunks expelled a single clap. "We'll separate into sparring pairs. Neoru, you'll be fighting me. Dina and Voshyo, you'll be fighting each other."

Dina jumped back. "H-HUH!? LIL' OL' ME!? FIGHT THIS 50-FOOT EXTRADIMENSIONAL BLOKE!?" Voshyo glared at her in response. Trunks chuckled a bit. "You'll be fine! I could tell from that panic attack you had earlier."

Trunks's attention reshifted to the entire trio. "Oh, one more thing..." His expression suddenly darkened, as his eyes became razor-sharp. "DO. NOT. KILL."

Voshyo hissed at the restraint, while Dina wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Neoru was neutral.

"I'd like everyone to take position a few meters directly facing their opponent." Trunks raised his right arm skyward. "On 3, we'll begin the exhibition."

The 3 began to move towards their respective adversary. Voshyo inspected Dina and scoffed. "Pathetic. The lot resemble those Earthlings father told me about, and this one doesn't appear to've seen a day of combat. A single blow at full power will kill her. Damned weakling..."

Dina shook a bit. "He's huuuuge! And scary to boot! Not only that, I can feel something... incredible coming from him..."

Trunka took some time to check Neoru out. "He's evaluating everything about me, I can tell. And judging by that look, he's used to it..." Neoru was partaking in the aforementioned combat evaluation. "Coat should slow him down, so he's probably gonna take it off, sword isn't for show from the looks of it, hair's still stupid. That's about it."

Once positions were taken, Trunks raised his right arm skyward. "Annnnnnd..."

Neoru and Dina tensed. Voshyo remained motionless.

Trunks slammed down his right arm, cutting the air in its downward path.

"BEGIN!"

 ** _(BGM: Kikuchi - M-1307, Start - 1:12)_**

Voshyo immediately appeared before Dina who, after letting out some sort of high-pitched squeak, held out her arms off of fear alone before receiving a palm to the gut. Her breath was expelled from her, along with a stream of saliva from her mouth as she was knocked back several meters. She rolled intensely on the ground before furiously returning to her feet.

"YOU'RE JUST GONNA LET THIS BRUTE FLING ME ABOUT LIKE A FLESHY RAGDOLL?" she yelled toward Trunks.

"Are you? Fight back! You're definitely more capable than you think!" He went, chipper tune in his voice.

Dina looked back at Voshyo, who was advancing toward her with a look of disgust in his eyes.

"Don't... you look down on me, you arrogant bastard!" Dina yelled, suddenly charging toward the larger fighter who hadn't bothered taking a stance. Before she could land a blow, Voshyo swatted her aside in mid air, making her spiral sideways for a good few moments before crashing. Rising up in an instant, she made another charge to his seemingly open left side, initiating a rush lasting only about 3 seconds, resulting in a forceful upwards kick sending her flying. She ended up catching herself mid-air with her ki. "Nice," Trunks subconsciously noted. "That's two with flight already." Neoru couldn't help but focus on the ongoing brawl as well. Voshyo jutted his hand forward and formed a small ki blast, aiming directly at Dina before firing. The blast was too quick for her to dodge or reflect, nabbing her right in center mass and knocking what little wind she'd regained out of her. He followed with consecutive ki blasts, forcing Dina to block and take them head-on. Each blast hurt immeasurably, like concentrated balls of lava were being flung at her at mach-speed. After 10 or 12 of them, Voshyo rose toward her at speeds unfathomable to the human eye and knocked her back to Earth in a single, half-assed kick.

"Pitiful" was all he cared to add.

He touched the ground one foot first, arms crossed.

"Now, does a true challenge await me, or should I toy with the other human to kill time?" Voshyo arrogantly asked.

"U...unreal..." Neoru gawked. "That chick just flew... and the big guy just shot so many... without breaking a sweat..."

"At full power, he should be around father's level when he first came to Earth," Trunks observed, "if not a bit stronger. Not everyday we get recruits on this level. Nice!"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

 _ **(BGM: Super Saiyan Goku Theme, Start - 1:50)**_

 ** _"Drag me out to the middle of nowhere..."_** a reverbing voice slowly growled.

 _ **"Tell me some piss story about dying..."**_ yellow energy expelled forth from the crater Dina left.

 _ **"Make me fight some shithead I've never even met... And then watch him beat the crap out of me..."**_ the Aurora covering the sky cowered and quaked.

 _ **"I hope you enjoyed that, you sick fuck..."**_ Dina slowly rose from her crater, her once gold-brown, moppy and shoulder-length hair now completely golden and standing on-end. A violent, blazing-bright yellow aura now surrounded her.

Trunks stared in subtle admiration, Neoru out of confusion, and Voshyo out of disbelief.

 _ **"BECAUSE AFTER I'M THROUGH WITH YOU..."**_ her now-emerald, iris-absent eyes shined with a furious intensity.

 ** _"I'M GONNA MAKE SURE YOU REPRESS MY EXISTENCE, YOU POMPOUS PIECE OF DOG SHIT!"_**

"Wha-" was all Voshyo made out before being sent flying.

"What a turnout!" Trunks exclaimed. "A Super Saiyan already! From how she's using it, this isn't her first time ascending, either. I'm impressed!" Neoru was shocked. "Super Saiyan? The hell are you talking about, and how'd that chick become a fucking sun all of a sudden!?" Trunks chuckled a bit at Neoru's wording.

"This state's exclusive to the Saiyan race - our race. Throughout the course of history, it's been awakened by a number of its greatest heroes, my father among them. It takes a Saiyan's power and skyrockets it to an extraordinary degree, making them stronger, faster, and more durable, while also increasing their energy output. It's initially triggered by intense trauma or equally intense training, but after that, anger or concentration will do the trick-"

 _ **"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"**_

Trunks and Neoru covered their ears. "Yeah, it also errodes a Saiyan's sense of self in its earlier stages!"

"Basically, batshit crazy?"

"You could say that!"

( _ **BGM: Vegetrunks Theme, 0:34 Onwards**_ )

Dina charged directly towards Voshyo, erupting into a flurry of punches and kicks. Letting off more power, he was able to block most of them, though enough were able to break through his defense that he was staggered. Dina followed up with a straight jab to the gut, snapping Voshyo into a reeling position and allowing her to follow up with a viscous uppercut, shooting the fullblooded Saiyan upwards. In hot pursuit, the halfblood caught his head in midair and knee'd it repeatedly, ending the assault with a full-power headbutt. As he rocketed toward the ground, her fist followed suit, ending in said fist accelerating his plummet and creating a massive crater.

Once the dust settled, Dina stood over a nigh-unconscious Voshyo, killer intent in her eyes. As she made the attempted finishing move, however, a savage kiai burst from Voshyo's body, knocking her a ways back. He slowly stood, covering his head and coughing blood before standing upright and going full power.

"You impudent little weasel... daring to carry tainted Saiyan blood..."

He shot upward, the Aurora lacing the sky swirling around him.

"AN ABOMINATION LIKE YOU SHOULD NOT POSSESS THAT FORM...!" he yelled as he pooled his energy into his left arm, his right firmly grasping it and channeling energy. Dina, now slightly more calm, stared in horror at the amount of power Voshyo was giving off as she hastily prepared an attack of her own.

Voshyo began to laugh maniacally. "YOU WERE CORRECT, YOU KNOW!" he screamed as particles gathered and died around his open palm. "I **WILL** REPRESS YOUR EXISTENCE AFTER I'VE OBLITERATED YOU, HALFLING!"

Trunks began to contemplate the magnitude of the situation. "Yeah, this has gone on long enough!" he shouted before running toward the destructive duo.

 **"CEASE TO EXIST!"**

Voshyo yelled as he shot a gigantic wave of pure energy. Dina, inexperienced with the control of her energy, let out an equally massive, yet slightly weaker wave of her own, resulting in a beam struggle. Neoru was still in shock at the spectacle before him; the point of the blasts' collision dwarfed even the tallest mountains. "DIE!" demanded Voshyo as his wave of ki approached Dina more and more by the second. Before it could get any closer, however, the collision was cut short by a a pocket of air which Trunks threw. Both Voshyo and Dina stared in absolute disbelief before being knocked out seemingly simultaneously by the swordsman. Voshyo was taken to the ground, Dina was lowered gently.

"Phew!" Trunks exasperated. "That's the best I've seen in a few months! But still..." Trunks looked over the dimension, a good planet-sized portion of its greenery being scorched. "They'll need some work on controlling their tempers."

"Which brings me to you."

Trunks's attention shifted to Neoru, who was currently counting his fingers on account of being disoriented by the earlier beam struggle.

"Hey!"

Neoru jolted a bit before remembering that he also had to fight. "Yeah, screw that. You saw what those freaks could do, and you still flicked that blast away without trying. You'd kick my ass by blinking hard enough, I already failed."

"Won't know until you try, will you?" Trunks assured. "Besides, the goal's not to beat me. The fact that you were chosen means you just need some work on bringing out your potential. Just show me what you can do!"

Neoru rolled his eyes and sighed. "Might as well..."

Neoru slowly unsheathed his sword, and Trunks did the same, letting out a smirk as well.

 _After a planet-shaking display by Dina and Voshyo, as well as the unveiling of a Super Saiyan, things calm down as Neoru and Trunks now face each other! Does Neoru have anything that can compete with the power of a Saiyan? Or was he better off lying down and accepting defeat? Find out in the next installment of Dragon Ball STEP!_

"En Garde!"

* * *

Yo! **OP here!**

 **That was a pretty long chapter in my eyes, but still, I hope you enjoyed by first fight scene. I'm pretty tired after that, so I'll just end with the preview of next chapter:**

 **Neoru fights Trunks. Yeah.**

 **Uhhhhh...**

 **See Ya.**


	5. Razor's Edge! Neoru Grits His Teeth!

**Disc 3 Part 2**

 _Where we left off, Dina and Voshyo beat the shit out of each other and got sent to Timeout by Trunks, who proceeded to single out Neoru like the meanine he is. Speaking of..._

* * *

Neoru bent his knees and lowered his torso, revamping his prior analysis on Trunks while doing so. "One hit's all he'll need to do me in." This, he knew for certain about his adversary. Despite this, Neoru neglected to take up a genuine stance; even his sword was clenched in a leftside fist.

 _"This state's exclusive to the Saiyan race - our race"_

"He's one of those 'Saiyans' too, just a hellava lot stronger. Doesn't matter how much distance I get, he could peg my ass from a good couple hundred steps at worst... I've only got a few ways to approach this guy without ending up on the ground... damn it, they all suck, too."

"If you won't make the first move, I will!" Trunks yelled, getting impatient.

Neoru's stomach dropped a tad at the thought of that. "Jsf- FUCK IT! HEAD ON OR NOTHING!"

( _ **BGM: Sneak Chamber, Start-2:28**_ )

Neoru charged at Trunks, sword in hand. "That's more like it!" Trunks exclaimed before dodging Neoru's initial slash and blocking the follow-up kick. Neoru scurried away before going in for another swing, Trunks preparing a parry during the rush. To his surprise, Neoru opted to rush _toward_ Trunks's incoming blade, sliding underneath limbo-style before propelling himself off the ground and nearly delivering a kick to his temple. Repositioning himself midair post-failed kick, Neoru landed on his feet, where Trunks's jagged assault awaited him. Through a series of stumbles, downward spins, and backflips, he was just barely able to dodge each of his attacks, even retaliating with his own a couple of times.

"The way he fights..." Trunks contemplated while dodging Neoru in their brief exchange of blows and weaves. "It's chaotic, almost animalistic, yet he knows exactly how to control his movements!" Dirt and dust danced along with the combatants, gradually clouding the area around them. Neoru, getting internally pissed, discovered a minuscule window in Trunks's defense and went for it immediately, unaware that Trunks had deliberately created that window. Instead of meeting flesh, Neo's blade met mystic steel; only to Trunks's surprise, the sword _bent_ instead of stopping or chipping. Using the discovery to his advantage, Neoru spun off the sword's stored momentum and swung at Trunks, applying every bit of weight and power into this seemingly decisive blow. To his shock and awe, Trunks dodged the swing with ease, losing a few strands of hair in the process. With that, he vanished from view. "What the-" Neoru gasped before feeling cold steel centered between his chest. Trunks had appeared behind the boy, holding him by sword-point.

"That's the match!" Trunks proudly proclaimed as he slowly dropped his guard. What he didn't count on, however, was Neoru's familiarity with such a situation. "How dumb do ya hafta be to not go for the heart?" he ridiculed before suddenly rolling to his left and into Trunks's inner elbow, allowing the blade to cut into him a bit, and landing a side-fist straight to Trunks's face before ducking under his arm.

He then took in a lengthy breath, reeling back his arm and concentrating with all he had. Gradually, ki pooled into the reeled arm's hand, until a light-radiating sphere took form. He smirked, and chucked the orb full-force, creating an explosion large enough to level a few floors of a building.

Dust settled for a few daunting moments.

"I don't care WHAT you can do," he reassured through weighted breath, "NO ONE can just take one'a those without defendin' 'emselves!"

To his shock and horror, the swordsman's black coat hadn't so much as lost a thread of fabric. Trunks looked toward Neoru, allowing the boy to witness the lack of effect the attack had. "Nice" he said. With that, he concluded the brawl by speeding at Neoru faster than he could perceive and forcefully shoving a fist into his gut. "Loving the sword!" Trunks commented as Neoru reeled in pain. "I noticed your power raised a good tenfold while you were using it, as well. Your skills aren't half bad either, though I think they could use more refining. Unpredictability will only take you so far in combat, you know."

""FU- **CAHAAK** -FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!"

"Safe to say, you've passed with flying colors!" Trunks exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up.

* * *

Now that everyone had recovered, Trunks began his debrief.

"All of you have shown me how much potential you have, but there are certainly aspects of your respective beings you need to work on in order to become certified patrollers. For now, you two-"

He pointed to a pouting Dina and a lazing Neoru.

"-need to attend school, learn more about how to utilize your power as well as increase it. And you-"

He looked over to a Voshyo that was paying zero attention, deep in either thought or pointless defiance.

"AND YOU..!"

Voshyo looked over his shoulder, forcing a sigh out of Trunks.

"-swear to Chronoa-You're ready to partake in a few parallel quests."

Trunks slowly got off the rock he was sitting on.

"In the meantime, consider this your new home. Feel free to get a feel of it, get to know its residents as well as each other, and take some time to cool down."

Trunks clapped, changing the scenery from the barren, Aurora-laced spar dimension they were in, to a yellow fountain surrounded by a bustling city, where people of all different shapes, sizes, strengths, and species talked, flew in the skies, ate, rode hovering vehicles, and generally congregated. The star in the sky proudly beamed down upon the residents, and an unfathomably gigantic stone dragon loomed among a cloud-dotted sky, observing from above.

Trunks held out his arms and smirked at the trio.

"Welcome to Conton City."

 **Yo! OP here.**

 **Fuck Dragon Ball Legends, lol.**

 **Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing Neoru's fight scene. He's a pretty dynamic character when it comes to the fight, and I'll try to emphasize that in the future. Speaking of characters, it's time I explained puns and PLs. (I'm probably nust gonna throw those out regardless down the line, power creep ans shiz, but here's some in the meanwhile.)**

 **Neoru - Anagram for "Neuro-". PL at the start: 80 (w/sword - 800, is good sword, yes? Seriously, I'll explain its origins in time. Nothing stupid like including Tapion or anything, I'll make it good I promise.)**

 **Dina - Katakana for "Dinner". (I guess I'd be said as "Deina" now that I give it some extra thought, considering Di isn't a thing in katakana... Came up with the name thinking about Gohan's pun and never changed it, not for a lack of trying.) PL at the start: 355 (SSJ Buff - 17750, I'm gonna mess with the SSJ multiplier further down the line but it remains 50 for now.)**

 **Voshyo - Pun on Russian for "Vegetable (Used to be 'Toma' but then I asked myself: 'He's a Saiyan royal, right? Why aren't I making his name a vegetable pun, too?' The Voshyo and Vegeta connection's gonna go a lot deeper than just cloning, too, don't worry.) PL at start: 15500 (FP Wave - 30000)**

 **Up next: Character shit and Neo Orange Star enrollment.**

 **See ya.**


	6. Warming Up to Conton!

**Disk 4: Warming Up To Conton City! There's a Smile Around Every Corner!**

 _On the last "riveting" installment of Dragon Ball STEP, despite his best efforts, Neoru was completely outmatched by Trunks's unimaginable power! Now our 3 hero- our 3 recruits have been dropped into the heart of Conton City! What wacky and light-hearted hijinks will these kooky kids get into now? Tune in and find out!_

( _ **BGM** **: J Dilla - 2 Can Win**_ )

"Welcome to Conton City."

And with that, Trunks disappeared, leaving the 3 to take in their surroundings. Well, 2, considering Voshyo immediately distanced himself after letting out an obligatory sucking of teeth.

Both Neoru and Dina took time to look around. The 2 stood in front of a small 3-way pond walkway, which displayed a sizable hologram depicting a spiky-haired figure in a caped jacket. Leading from the pond was a roundabout spreading outward into 3 brick paths, each leading into different sectors. Surrounding the pond was a plaza, where dozens of unique faces congregated and a cacophony of voices spoke, shouted, whispered, etc.

Dina wasn't taking this sudden new shift well. In fact, she was becoming more bewildered and hyperventilated by the second. Neoru, on the other hand, was more curious than anything. "Uh-huh... this is something..." he slowly stated, still evaluating everything.

"...What's wrong with you?"

"Eh?"

" **WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?"** Dina screamed in a sudden outburst, drawing passing looks. "HOW? HOW ARE YOU JUST ACTING LIKE NOTHING IS WRONG, YOU ABSOLUTE KNOB? WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF FUCKING NOWHERE, FIND OUT YOU'VE BASICALLY FUCKING DIED, KICKED INTO FUCKING WONDERLAND WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A FUCKING MAP, AND YOU JUST BEHAVE LIKE EVERYTHING'S ALL HUNKY-DOREY? LIKE THIS IS IN ANY WAY NORMAL? NO! THIS ISN'T NORMAL! NORMAL PEOPLE DON'T FUCKING ACT LIKE THIS!"

Neoru's eyes widened like a fish's before narrowing.

"...Really got an issue with 'fuck' don't you-You know you aren't exactly normal either you, piss-haired weirdo! Besides I'm not getting anywhere by rolling on the floor in the fetal position like you're doing. You can ACT like a dumbass all you want, just don't drag me along with ya."

With that, Neo left in order scope out the area.

"Fine, piss off and take your shit stench with you, cunt!" Dina screamed, tears now falling freely. Now brimming with emotions, she raced off in order to find a quiet place to think, bumping into a multitude of extraterrestrial species along the way.

* * *

Neoru walked through a pathway riddled with bamboo, recapping past events. "So I'm not dead, and this isn't Hell, huh? Well if I'm trapped with these freaks, it might as well be..." Neo proceeded to pick up a handful of grass from the ground. "Little pick-me-up..." he mumbled as he began to munch, somehow bearing its taste. As he enjoyed his bizarre snack, a scene began to play out in his mind...

 _"Look, you're better than me! I know it, you know it, hell, they knew too! So if anyone's gonna make it past here, it's gotta be you!"_

Neoru's eyes narrowed _._

 _"Use your head, dumbass! If we both die here, everyone would've died for nothing! Listen, I'm sorry I fucked this up, just... you've gotta be the one to give this bastard one for all of us, ok? I'll hold him off my damn self, you just go!"_

Neoru's fists balled.

 _"I SAID GO!"_

Neoru bit his tongue, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Ffffuck!" he spat in between bloody gobs of grass. He kicked up dirt in frustration, allowing his mind to use the sudden injury as an excuse for his rage.

"Ay, you alright in there?" an unfamiliar voice echoed from the end of the bamboo walk.

Neoru hacked up the last of his former meal. "Who is that?"

"Wait, you're new here, aren't you?"

"I said who's askin'!"

The voice decided to reapproach the situation with an answer instead of a question, like a decent human being, as he began to walk down the path.

"Just a guy looking to help!" He said in a friendly tone.

* * *

In a quiet alley, Dina had been crying on the ground for a good 20 minutes straight. Nearby, a woman was analyzing sets of numbers on a portable screen. Clad in an indigo jacket and a black shirt coupled with leggings, she ended up stumbling upon the sobbing wreck while walking past the alleyway. She paused for a moment, took a few steps back, paused, walked forth again, and finally decided to check on the girl.

"Leave me alone!"

"Oh thank Chronoa", she said to herself loud enough for Dina to hear.

"Wait..."

"Tch!" the woman hissed.

"I just... need someone to talk to..."

A tad of empathy emerged from the woman in that moment, and she decided to take a seat on the ground with the halfbreed. Exhaling a bit of carbon, she then went on to say in a monotone voice:

"Go on."

" **SOONEMOMENTIMWAKINGUPANDTHENEXTIFINDOUTMYBESTFRIENDJUSTMURDEREDANENTIRESCHOOLSWORTHOFPEOPLEWITHHERMAGICHANDSORWHATEVERSOIRUSHOVERANDTHEREWASSOMUCHBLOODANDIWASNTINTHERIGHTMINDANDALLICOULDSEEWASREDANDTHENTHENEXTTHINGIKNOWIMAGAINSTAWALLANDIGOTSTABBEDANDITREALLYHURTANDIWASSCAREDANDTHENIWAKEUPHEREANDTHENTHISBIGBLOKEWITHATAILFORSOMEREASONBEATSMEUPANDCALLSMEANABONINATIONANDNOONEWILLHELPMEANDIMSCAREDANDCONFUSEDANDAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!** " Dina's incoherent blabber ended in intense wailing.

"Oh ok" the woman replied in deadpan. Somehow, the woman was able to process the general gist of her situation. "Name?"

"Du-Dina."

She began to type away at the air until acquiring her desired information. "Do you know you have an apartment?"

Dina shook her head.

"Want me to take you?"

"Y-you'd do that?" she sniffled.

"Sure why not."

Dina began wiping her practically leaking face and gave the stranger a smile almost infectious with its sincerity. "Thank you."

The woman blushed a light-red hue, her cold, seemingly robotic exterior melting a bit. "Oh, yeah, it was nothing. Now on your feet, let's go."

"Mh-Hm!"

* * *

Neoru stared at the food for a good few seconds. Everything about it - the gooey yellow-orange stuff oozing off it, the chunky red stuff underneath that, the weird smell that he could've sworn he'd smelled before...

Wait, he began to form a word for it in his head. Someone special had found it for him once, and they both ate together... it was, uhhhh... had a "P" in it... it was right on the tip of his-

"It's pizza, dude. Just eat it."

"Whatever, I knew that" Neoru half-murmured as he slowly savored the slice of life.

"Sooo... got a name, kid?"

"Meou."

"Huh?"

Neoru gulped down the warm slice of pizza. "Neoru."

"Neh-Oh-Ru? Who names their kid Neoru?"

"Alright then dipshit, what's your name?"

"First of all, it's not 'dipshit', it's Kahset."

"Don't ever fucking talk to me about stupid names again."

"...you've got balls, I give you that."

The ma-Kaset stood a bit over 6 feet, mocking Neo's 5'7. He wore an earpiece that doubled as a scouter, as well as a sleek wrist gauntlet showcasing a complex screen; in fact, a few patrollers had this gauntlet, all of them possessing a noticeable pressure. And although this man was no different, the pressure was offset by his casual choice of clothing. He even wore a baseball cap.

"Over there", he pointed towards the large establishment behind a fountain on the far side of town, "is Orange Star High. Where you're supposed to be for 9 months. You know what a month is, right?"

"That's like a night butterfly, right?"

"You need to head there, first thing tomorrow."

Kaset began typing at his gauntlet. "O-R-U - got it. You've got an apartment oveeer..."

He attempted to point to the coordinates, while Neoru watched intensively, but too many buildings obscured it.

"Screw it, I'll take you. Hop on."

"That's levitation, right? I can do that, wa-"

"You don't even know what a month is yet, you ain't even close to earning your flier's license."

"THE HELL'S A LICENSE?"

"Look, I'm not walking. Hop on."

Neoru reluctantly boarded Kaset Airlines 474.

* * *

"Oh!" Dina gasped. "I almost forgot. I didn't get your name, fair stranger!"

The woman turned her head to hide a smirk before replying. "My name is-"

"YO, AYEVA!"

"Eternal Shenron grant me restraint."

Kaset landed by Ayeva in a playful manner. "Didn't think I'd catch you here, or did you wait for me?"

"Choke on it."

"Still so cold..." Kaset dramatically wiped a crocodile tear from his sorrowful visage. "Why must you wound me so with your venomous tongue?"

"Keep mocking me if you want a Shining Prostate Exam, you pathetic idiot."

Kaset relesded a hearty laugh. "With threats like that, who needs rewards?"

As the two veteran patrollers bickered, Dina glared at Neoru, who was coming to terms with his predicament and how he could overcome it.

"Pleasure seeing you here," she sarcastically growled.

"Yeah, whatever crybaby, just don't fuck with me and I'll live."

"Keep chatting like that and they'll never find your carcass, yeah?"

"KEeP cHaTtInG lIkE tHaT aNd- kill yourself you big words bitchass."

Dina stared in shock.

Both Kaset and Ayeva immediately snapped to Neoru and Dina.

"...You have 5 seconds to scurry inside that building, find your flat, and hide for your fucking life."

"Bite me" Neoru said as he walked inside.

He proceeded to scream profanities as he desperately searched for his number.

"Go get 'em, tiger", Ayeva proudly pushed Dina onward.

"AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!" she yelled as she gave chase at mach speeds.

* * *

"No" Trunks stated.

"I demand you" Voshyo proclaimed.

"That'd be suicide. Are you stupid?"

"A Saiyan does not run from death. You dared deny me one befitting a king. That isn't your call to make."

"Like hell it isn't. If you go back now, you're not a hero, you're an idiot who died twice. Now if you stay, you can get strong enough to end things. But you aren't, and you won't be for a while."

"That's my point, you moron. Every waking moment I breathe, a Saiyan is forced to slave away beneath the heel of self-righteous scum! I won't accept that!"

Trunks slammed his open palm upon his desk.

"WHAT GOOD IS A DEAD KING, HUH? WHAT USE IS A MARTYR WHO DIES AT THE FLICK OF A WRIST? WAKE UP, DAMMIT!"

Voshyo found himself without a confident retort.

"You...!"

"Now if that's all, I have business to attend to," the lavender-haired commander bluntly concluded. "Get the hell out of my office."

Voshyo snarled, ultimately departing in defeat.

Trunks rubbed his forehead. "Give me a break..."

* * *

 **OP in this bih'.**

 **Ain't got nothing to say except that I had to rewrite this entire thing over some stuff. Eat some good food and live free.**


	7. The Academy's Here!

**Disc 5: The Academy's Here! Have a Trained Mind and Body!**

When Neoru finally found the strength to open his eyes, it was a new morning. The light of a rising sun - or something of the like - shined through the window of what was apparently his new apartment. He also noticed that he was on top of a cushy mattress, which struck him peculiar due to him not remembering making it to the quarters in the first place, let alone finding a bed to sleep on.

"Yep, crazy bitch got me alright. Jeez..." Neoru complained. Yes, upon inspecting the back of his head, he found a large knot nestled on top, shrunken yet visible if one went out of their way to search for it.  
After a set of particularly violent thoughts faded from his mind, Neoru immediately shifted into curiosity as he looked around his new HQ. "Ooookaaaay," he slurred as he crawled out of bed, wiping crust from his eyes, "what's this place got for me?"

His feet hitting cold steel aided Neo's slow start-up with a sudden jolt and a quick profanity. "WHAT THE-where the hell'd my shoes gooooo..." he loudly inquired before his eyes glided over the rest of the room. A metallic blue coated the walls, ceiling, and floor, all which eminated a dim blue light. "oooh." The room was a good meter above Neo's head, yet it expanded for several, and adorning its sides were a shelf and a door leading to a smaller room in turn adorned with hangers.

Walking out the room at a breakneck speed through a portal-esque automated door (with which he had more fun than he should've), Neoru was faced with a multitude of sections of his new house including a-

"Holy shit that's a fridge."

...Yeah, the small kitchen was the first and only section which captured Neoru's interest. Vaulting over the counter which dared guard the food sanctuary before him. As he gripped the handle of the refrigerator, he uttered a repetitively rapid "please have food" before slowly opening it. His violet eyes lit up with joy as he beheld an array of meals (they all appeared bizarre, but Neoru only saw food) and a drink he held nigh-sacred...

"WATER!" Neoru cried in ecstasy.

He was quick to put entire jug to his mouth and chug away, occasional intervals of savoring the resource included. Time flew by as Neoru guzzled his precious life juice, and by the time he was willing to unhand the jug, the morning had faded and made way for noon. He lie on the ground, erupting in hiccups while planning his next move.

"I go back outside and..."

Premonitions of a yellow-haired psychopath (who could run and punch a dozen times better than he could) kept him to the floor while inspiring a gulp from the boy. Yet still...

"But if I stay in here for the rest'a my life..."

His mind replayed a snippet of the cloaked, lavender-haired and uber-strong swordsman warning him about potential consequences for mooching off free resources. Just the thought of what he could do iced over Neo's blood. Suddenly, getting his ass kicked seemed a lot better than...

He did a needless kickup, strapped on his feet protection, and headed out into the city.

* * *

"Errrrr... sir?" Dina cautiously asked as she approached the surreal being, whose 6 eyes immediately darted towards her with visible offense.

"M-MAM! I meant mam!" Dina hastily attempted to correct herself. The being still looked offended as it let out an agitated groan which you could replicate by turning on a motorcycle's exhaust after covering it with a balloon.

"Oh for fuck's- Look, mate, I'm new here, I just need to know where the damn Academy is. Literally a extended finger will do at this point."

"Hmph! And why should I tell an insensitive moron like you anything?" the being pouted, extending a middle... apendage to Dina. All it had accomplished with this gesture was incurring Dina's wrath, as it found itself suddenly and violently grabbed by its collar.

"Alright you listen here yeah? All I wanted were some fucking directions and here you are acting hard yeah? If you wanna act so fucking hard mate, I'll rip off your fucking tentacles and make you gag on 'em yeah? How 'bout I rip off those mandibles and play Tic-Tac-Toe on ya fucking eyeballs, how'sat sound? Now If you don't wanna end up a fucking stain on the chalk, gimme my fucking directions before I GET PROPER FUCKING CROSS WITH YOU!" With the way her hair stood up, she looked like a punk rock star.

" W-wait! Business District, straight ahead!"

Dina threw the patroller to the ground in a huff before making a break in the Academy's direction. "Could've just led with that, ya shrimp dick prick."

"Wait!"

"Eh?"

The eldritch resident broke down in its version of tears. "My name's STEVE! PLEASE just call me STEVE!"

Dina scoffed. "Wha'kinda name is Steve?"

Steve continued to cry.

* * *

"O-R-A-N-what the hell is that-E..."

Neoru analyzed the structure, deciding whether or not this was the place Kaset wanted him to be.

"Oeraineh... doesn't sound right." Neoru sighed. "Close enough, though, so why not?"

Neoru pushed through the door and was instantly dazzled. To put it bluntly, the interior was huge. The ground shined with a marble-esque texture, illuminated by the light let through by the window atop the ceiling, and dozens of varying banners hung from railings. Multiple corridors branched from the main hallway, and in the center was a sigil of a long, horned dragon in the shape of an S, which wrapped around an H and exited out the Center of an O, that covered most of the floor.

Neoru whistled in amazement as he checked out the school's layout. Not too long after, he picked up on faint-yet-stern lecturing to his right.

"Guess that's where I'm supposed to be."

After investigating a plethora of deterrents (he raided multiple lockers and ate someone's granola bar on his way) he opened the door to a full class of varied faces, with a tall, green, and antennae-clad man pointing a long, thin stick at a board the size of a house.

"-perties of Katchin will receive extra credit on their..."

The green slug man directed attention to his new arrival, and most of the class followed suit.

Neoru looked back in mild annoyance. "What?"

"Ah, a new recruit! Can you state your name to your new classmates-"

"Neoru," he said as he jumped up the stairs to an empty seat. Frankly, he just wanted to stop being stared at like he was a freak by a bunch of freaks, and hauled tail to the highest row.

"...straight to the point, I like that."

As the lecture continued, Neoru attempted to pay attention to what was being taught. The attempting soon turned to struggling, which gradually turned to indifference. He was about halfway into a daydream when he was bumped by a bushy yellow tail.

"The hell-"

"Hi!"

Neuro was greeted by a boy who looked too damn happy in comparison to the rest of the class. He wore a martial arts gi which donned the marking of a panther, and his head was topped with moppy blonde hair. Most noticeable were his eyes, which were a vibrant emerald that glowed with an uncanny optimism for life.

'I'm Zinco!"

"Cool." Neoru was already annoyed. "Waddaya want?"

"I just wanted to say hi!" Zinco continued.

His voice was girly. Too girly. Neoru squinted a bit to check for any signs of womanhood, only to be greeted by genuine muscle.

"Let's be friends!" Zinco broke Neo's discordant train of thought. The latter looked at Zinco like he was a madman; people who talked and grinned like that usually just wanted to gut you while you slept, take necessitates, and trade them for half a jar of goose shit down the line. Then he thought about how grating his voice was. Needless to say, Neoru wasn't interested.

"No."

Zinco's expression sunk into that of a sulking puppy's in a shelter advertisement.

"Oh. Ok."

That look alone made Neoru reevaluate his decision. Besides, he wasn't made of stone.

"Wait, I mean... yeah, sure!"

("WHAT THE **FUCK** DID YOU JUST DO?")

(("I'M NEVER GONNA SLEEP RIGHT AGAIN IF I DON'T MAKE THAT FACE DISAPPEAR THIS SECOND, LEAVE ME ALONE!"))

That reestablished Zinco's happy-go-lucky expression. "Yosh!"

Just then, a sudden crash snapped everyone's attention towards the door.

Dina held it open, out of breathe and eyes twitching.

"H...Here!"

* * *

 **Yo! OP here.**

 **No set schedule-having ass, I know. Still, found some inspiration at the library and got back to it. The doc was like a week old in all honesty, and it sucked because it felt like the plot was moving the characters forward and not the other way around. This one seems a whole lot better.**

 **Also, Zinco's been introduced. Yee. He's a half-Saiyan I'm excited to deconstruct and work with in the coming chapters (gonna be a while though) and my intent for him and his eventual team is to bring that OG Dragon Ball feel to this fic. Far too few have that, you know, and it's sad.**

 **But yeah, stay tuned. Hoping I spend 2-3 chapters focusing on the Academy, but I'll be sure to make it a fun read while also letting characters develop from all this. Because after all that comes a small tournament and the first Patrol.**

 **Next up: Neoru sucks at math, Dina sucks a bit less at math, Neoru doesn't suck at math as much as he thought he did. Or maybe that'll be later, and next up's Learning, also people be scary.**

 **See ya.**


	8. Voshyo's Willpower!

**Disk 5: The Saiyan's Awakened Will! The Musai who Can't Level His Strength!**

 _Last time, on Dragon Ball STEP!, Neoru fails to remember what a G is while Dina assaults an innocent... what was its name? Whatever, cut to it!_

"H-Here!" Dina shouted, a combined look of exhaustion and wrath brimming through her ruby eyes.

"Damn it..." Neoru groaned through his teeth. Just remembering the prior beat down shook him to the core. Hell, her presence gave him shivers at this point, but he wasn't gonna let that show. No, the conveniently-placed, nigh-endlessly paged biology book he vaaliantly sheltered himself behind would ensure that.

"Wonderful" said the antennae-clad professor as he prepared another slideshow on the history of Namek.

"You don't seem happy at all to see lil' old me" Dina sarcastically pouted. "Well that's quite alright, because I, am happy to be here."

"Oh yeah, nice reference, dipshit" a voice from the foyer harshly mocked, garnering a "Piss off" from Dina.

The instructor groaned. "I'm going to have to ask you to stop interrupting the seminar and find a seat."

"Was doing that anyway, god..." she trailed off as she jumped up the stairs, 2 at a time, in search of a place to sit for about 5 more hours. As she hopped upwards, Zinco attempted to read the contents of Neoru's current makeshift wall. Not 2 hours had passed, and Neoru was already regretting his choice of words toward the blonde menace who now plagued his existence.

"What the fu-stop it!" Neoru hissed.

"But I wanna try to read it!" cried Zinco. "n' why are you hiding your face? Are you scared? Is it because of the big, snowy scary guy on the glowey wall?" he briefly directed attention to the projector, showcasing a pale, androgynous reptilian being whose devilish grin scared Zinco off. "Because I am too, but we can face this toge-"

"-gotta be so fuckin' loud for, kid? Shut your yap or..."

"Ah, dammit," he mentally sighed.

Dina was staring directly at his position, for the sole purpose of amusing herself with the image of someone hiding themselves with a book. She initially had no idea Neoru was sitting there, but his stupid, fluffy bang hairdo gave him away. In the place of rage, however, a subtly smug look grew across her face.

* * *

For what felt like a day, Voshyo stood upon a grassy knoll, away from the aggravating cascade of noise emanating from the city.

"Now get the hell out of my office."

Until this point, none had dared to so much as address him with a funny look, much less dismiss him so callously. None, excluding the bastard who'd sent him to what should've been his grave. Balling his fist, his memory of that powerless feeling, and having to relive it, burned him. He was but a boy when he first tasted its sting, and the eternal burning sensation within him each time it occurred. Forced into hiding by his father, whom he had to watch be "hanged" by the renegade. This being could only be described by the term "monster," a spiked, endless tail which wrapped around a vessel of inconceivable power, showcasing only piercing white eyes. That figure had forced him to run and hide on more occasions than one, he'd put his race under his boot and forced them to obey his whim, and he'd taken... her... in front of his very eyes.

Voshyo balled his fists to the point of stabbing into his palms, anger wheeling from within. He, he who should be a king, had felt powerless. _So much so that he'd become well-acquainted with its feeling._

He needed someway to prove his strength. Saiyan strength. To the whole damn multiverse.

"You seem troubled, Saiyan."

It hit him like an asteroid: unfathomable strength and pressure that nearly broke his sanity.

Despite the unreal pressure of a gas giant weighing upon him, he forced himself to turn and confront the creature.

Its cesious form stood 3 meters, dwarfing Vosh's already-towering height. Its eyes were a storm of pure, violent red. Black, curved horns, each about a meter in length, protruded from its masked skull in the manner of an oxen's.

And its tail, almost double the mammoth's height in length, easily drifted to each side.

"Are you alright?"

Its power was star systems away from his own. It threatened the power which had initially humbled him. And yet...

"Fight me."

"What?"

"I SAID FIGHT ME!" he roared.

The intimidating, yet soft-spoken individual was taken aback by the Saiyan's enraged explosion.

"Fight? But you've given me no reason-"

 _ **(BGM: Beyond Belief (Fast Remix))**_

"THEN HERE'S YOUR REASON!" Voshyo yelled as he charged at the being with all his power, forcing it to move as not to wound him. Yet, on a dime and flicking his tail as a balancing act, Voshyo spun and unleashed a torrent of energy, engulfing the being entirely.

"TAKE ME FOR A TODDLER, DO YOU?" Voshyo demanded as he rushed into the torrent and engaged the unfazed creature in a 1-way exchange of blows.

"YOU COME ALL THIS WAY AND UNLEASH THIS MUCH POWER UPON ME? YOUR PATHETIC INTENTIONS HAVE BEEN LAID OUT FOR ME!" The being looked away in what resembled shame at the accusation.

"I never sought to insult you-"

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE, COWARD!" Voshyo grabbed the being's arm and, with every ounce of his power, drove his fist into its face, hitting it square in its biomask.

It had zero effect, instead resulting in Vosh's fist splitting and breaking into a bloody mess, only serving to intensify the Saiyan's expression of rage.

"If that is what you're implying, I did not intend on intimidating you with my power."

"THEN WHY DID YOU APPROACH ME WITH IT?"

"Concern!"

"DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A WEAKLING IN NEED OF SYMPATHIES?"

"I do not!"

"THEN WHY IS YOUR POWER IN FULL!"

" _BECAUSE I CAN NOT CONTROL IT!_ " the being suddenly erupted, emotion alone knocking away Voshyo.

As he struggled to get up, the being lamented what he deemed as weakness.

"All my centuries, and yet..." the being looked back in horror, his insecurity exposed. "I have said too much. I have done too much... What a failure this attempt has been..."

As it tried to leave, however, Voshyo called to it.

"I want your name."

The being hesitated for a moment.

"I don't care about its nature, only that your power exists, and that I _WILL_ call for you when I am ready to surpass it."

"... Ceruzius."

"Soft bastard... even your name evokes power." Voshyo chuckled to himself, loud enough for Ceruzius to hear. "Very well, Ceruzius. You are hereby my benchmark. Now be gone."

Ceruzius heeded, flying off (and unconsciously breaking a rule. Well, 2 now. Wonder if anyone down there cares...) with a touch of fulfillment in his heart.

"Even if the fashion was.. unanticipated... I did help someone today." The gentle giant clamped his eyes shut in delight.

As for Voshyo...

 ** _(OST: Halusatwin - Dark Prince of All)_**

"What a foolish stupor I've undergone, sulking away like some weakling while there are yet plateaus I've left untouched."

"This world... no, all worlds will know this Saiyan's power in time." He smiled at his broken fist, then skyward. "Even the heavens themselves will break before Voshyo's fist."

* * *

 **Yo! OP here.**

 **So Google+ is dead now. Shot to death by Google like Ol' Yellie. Yeah, that one site that molested YouTube for a good while? Turns out the actual site wasn't half bad. Gonna miss that hellhole...**

 **Oh, yeah. 3 weeks without an update. Yeah, I ran through a shit ton of ideas for this chapter and am only now coming up with a decent, cohesive continuation. Seriously, I was _THIS_ close to posting something genuinely awful.**

 **Meet Ceruzius, the gentle giant of Zinco's soon-to-be team. While Neoru's character kickstarted my idea for a story, Eldergod Cryojin was my second-ever Xeno-CaC (I made a Part 3 DIO as the first. It looks aight.) I also came up with a new name for Frieza's race: Musai. Inspired by Saiyan (Anagram for Yasai) Musai is an anagram for the JP word "samui" meaning cold. I like it. I also liked this chapter's outcome.**

 **Next up: Continuation of this chapter with the 3rd unveiling of Zinco's dream team, banter between Neo and Dina, and maybe some other stuff.**

 **See ya.**


	9. Update: AAAAAAAAAAA-

**::::OP UPDAAAATE:::**

HOLY FUCKING SHIT this site sucks. Like, holy fuck.

So get this, I wrote a good few hundred words revising my initial draft for next chapter, loved it, saved it (I can literally remember the word count) waited about a week to figure out where I wanted to go from there, and now here I am, all of my progress gone.

What a pleasant fucking feeling that is. Spending hours typing away, thinking of shit that'd suit the characters, shit that'd help organically move the plot along, what to avoid, revising things that really don't belong, only for allllllll of that to go down the drain. Like it never fucking happened. And for what?

I could've been playing in my ass for all that time, would've made as much a difference.

I can't even write anything right now that doesn't sound fucking enraged. Fuck this ancient piece of shit site, my god.

I'll try to redo it later when I'm in the right state of mind again, but for now, just a quick lil' vent and state of affairs. I'll be damned if this site ever pushes me to give up on this story, though. No fucking way I'M gonna give up. I'm finishing that damn story, no matter what.

Enough about me though, hope you did aight on your SATs or whatever big test you had, if you take those. I did ok.

See ya.

 **FUCKINGHATETHISFUCKINSITE-**


	10. Secret of the SSJ! A Girl Named Kaza!

**Secret of the Super Saiyan! A Girl Named Kaza!**

"Hey!" Dina said, directly behind Neoru's row.

Neoru sat motionless. Absolutely still, like a concrete statue.

Dina puffed out of agitation. "Hello? Earth to Bird's Nest?"

Neoru shook like a concrete statue during a tremor.

" _Don't you fucking ignore me_ " Dina thought, now cross with the boy. "I said-"

Neoru had had it.

"WHY THE HELL WON'T YOU LET ME BE?" he hissed.

Twice now, knowing full-well she was able to snap his neck with a gesture, the boy had openly talked shit to her. And yet, she still felt something inviting about him.

"What? Are you suddenly above small talk? Can't chat with a girl or something?" she teased, getting a groan out of Neo.

"Oh, I'm down for small talk! I just don't like associating with psychos like you unless I need to! And I don't need any more brain damage as-is, you unstable fucking time bomb!"

She giggled a bit, treating Neoru's blatant hints to take a hike off a large flight of stairs like a game. "Psycho? Says the looney parading about a very-well machete into a school? You're one to talk, Mr. Ripper!"

Neoru paused for a minute, deciphering what exactly a machete was, and sucked in his teeth. "Hey, you walk around with a big enough stick, people tend to steer clear."

"I'm not feeling the slightest bit intimidated by the meter-long baby's-first-shiv you're carrying in a sodding napsack. Guess your little stick trick doesn't work on people who aren't complete nancies?"

"You aren't people."

Neoru surveyed the area, laying eyes upon hundreds of what he'd deem freaks of nature.

"No one here is people."

"Oh-oh no, piss right on off with that" Dina retorted. "What you consider 'people' at least practice decent hygiene, and YOU don't exactly give off the scent of a gent who bathes!"

"They don't turn their hair gold when they're pissed or toss around energy the size a' buildings like it's nothing, either. Wise-ass."

"... touchè."

Neoru decided to ignore what he perceived as an insult.

"Besides..." he proceeded to blankly state, "This ain't for show."

Dina cringed a bit, deciding not to dwell upon the implications of Neoru's last statement.

"Sooooo... got any idea what the spooky green guy's on about down there?"

"I stopped listening a good few hours ago. Or minutes? I don't know."

"Gee, that borin', huh?"

"Eh, I just confuse hours with minutes sometimes."

"... how do you confuse hours with min-"

" _Will you two idiots zip it for a second? This is important!_ " hissed a bushy-tailed girl within Dina's row.

Both directed attention to the ongoing lecture, not before Dina threw in a needless insult.

"-omrade was murdered by Frieza, Son went into a state known as..."

The Saiyan girl who hushed up our prosperous protagonists beforehand frantically shot her hand up, alongside a good chunk of the class.

"Hmm... yes, Kora?"

The aforementioned Saiyan girl proudly proclaimed, "Super Saiyan! A form that boosts the user's power by around 50-fold! Activated by a Saiyan's rage or sorrow!"

"Well done! Someone's been studying!"

"Thank you, Mr. Stroga!"

Mr. Stroga proceeded to change the slide, revealing a warrior clad in a gold aura, hair standing tall.

In that moment, shock compelled Dina to spring up.

"Hey, that guy's gone gold!"

The class diverted all eyes to Dina. Some surprised, most annoyed, all confused. On behalf of the childish title Dina gave or the sudden, loud outburst, reasons varied.

"Y-you know... when your hair shoots up and, uh... and everything turns yellow and... and you get this really tense feeling, and it feels warm for some reason and I'm not making sense right now, am I?"

"A good portion of the state's reported symptoms... unusually descriptive..." Stroga said to himself. "Even an uncanny amount of sincerity... Ms. Spaurk, either you're rather elaborately trying to stall my lecture, or... you very well may be a Super Saiyan."

 _ **(BGM: Dragon Ball Z BGM - The Saiyans are Coming!)**_

Dina let out a baffled gasp, as did many other classmates.

"A... a Super Saiyan?"

"I don't see many alternatives. It's either that or the Musai took a rather sharp evolutionary turn in a timeline I'd rather not know about."

"Uh-huh... umm..." Dina tilted her head. "What exactly is a 'Saiyan' again?"

Strokes ensued from Dina's obliviousness, as the professor slowly but surely began to lose patience.

"THERE'S NO WAY!" Kora abruptly shouted. "She doesn't know what it is, what it means, she doesn't even know what a Saiyan is, for Kai's sake! You can't just HAVE Super Saiyan! She has to be lying!"

"Jeez, ya walking blarehorn, wanna yell that a bit louder?"

"Shut your mouth, you damn smart aleck! You have no idea how much that form MEANS to me-"

"Oh so I'M the smart aleck, not the pissy twat who has the gall to call me a liar for no reason! Excuse me for not knowing what a Saiyan is, not like it's the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I'm hearing the phrase, you condescending bush-head!"

Kora met the insult with a swift grab of Dina's collar, her charcoal eyes glistening with rage.

"I'll show you what a Saiyan is first-hand, you insufferable piece of-"

"Hold on!"

The spikier-haired girl diverted her attention from her quieter adversary to the moppy-haired boy a row beneath her.

"Stay out of this!"

"Please..." Zinco continued, despite Kora's demand. "Hurting someone because they don't know as much as you won't make anything better. That will..." Zinco genuinely tried his utmost hardest to think of something that sounded right, something agreeable. "That will only lead to more... wrong things happening! Even her hair is flashing in hurt now! You don't need to do this!"

Even though a 4th grader could possibly outspeak Zinco, the sentiment was enough to reach the Saiyan. And so, she released Dina, albeit with a warning.

"You're lucky someone cares enough to vouch for you, asshole" Kora growled, slowly turning her head to face Dina once more. "Next time, I won't be so-"

During her brief audience with Zinco, Kora never questioned the peculiar matter of flashing hair Zinco mentioned.

Or the class's sudden plunge into silence.

Or the sudden change of pressure she'd noticed.

Or the sickly shade of white the formerly olive-skinned Neoru took on as he locked up, eyes wide open like a ghost had strolled on by.

She'd attributed the change in atmosphere to her own actions. Now she knew the real source.

Dina stood before her, her eyes rapidly shifting from ruby-red to a seething ocean's teal. Her hair danced as it fluctuated between a light brown and a burning gold. Her expression was rabid, to say the least.

"Get you filthy paws off me" she bellowed. "Before I rip you a new one."

She was a Saiyan. A Super Saiyan, nonetheless. And she barely knew it.

"There's my answer" Stroga said in a sing-song tune, oddly unfazed by such a young woman achieving such an exalted form. "Regardless, both of you, Student Affairs, NOW."

Both former lions were immediately reduced to teary-eyed schoolchildren.

"B-but she-"

"B-but I didn't-"

"NOW, or insubordination's being added to an already long list."

Both Saiyans flashed each other departing glares before walking off in a fit.

"mrmm... stupid... slug-head loser..."

"Wait what was tha-"

* * *

( ** _BGM: Tatyana Ali - Boy You Knock Me Out [0:00 - 0:30])_**

The commons were big.

No, gigantic.

Size of a few Olympic swimming pools, with a ceiling that mocked most skyscrapers.

Not that Neoru had seen that many in-tact skyscrapers in his lifetime, but still, big room with big food for big kids like him.

Speaking of, after suffering through an ear-shattering catfight between two Smilodons before hearing possibly the worst anti-violence speech on record, Neo wasn't in the best of moods.

As such, he picked a spot away from most of the mixed-language chatter and dug in.

Conton food didn't help his mood. Bread was supposed to be brittle and rough, not this soft crap he was making himself eat. It tasted a hellava lot better than usual, sure, but change was scary.

At least he had some space to reflect on past events and where to go from here annnnnnnd who the hell is this?

Trudging toward Neoru's table was a female figure about a-quarter-and-one Neorues tall. The fuchsia pink-skinned creature wore a black, zipperless and sleeveless vest covered in bizarre patterns, coupled with baggy grey pants and a tattered, white cape. She didn't have anything resembling a nose, and 2 protruding holes covered for ears. In place of hair were tentacles, each about chin-length excluding the 2 massive shoulder-length protrusions forming a sort of half-oval shape coming down over her forehead.

Neoru would've freaked out if not for her pitiful, submissive posture, as her head faced the ground while she cautiously made her way towards his table.

"E-excuse me, may I..."

Neoru sighed before cupping an ear in her direction.

"Eh? 'd you say something?"

The shy girl tensed. "I... may I sit h..." she trailed off, taking notice of Neoru's irritated glare. In truth, she was working his nerves, but not entirely because she'd approached him.

"What?" he asked in an obnoxiously high voice, still callously cupping his ear. "Ya sound like a damn mouse from here. Ya want something? Speak up."

Neoru wasn't of repeating himself, but he _hated_ submission. Seeing people act so pathetic and subservient was a sight he'd seen play out throughout his prior life; even he'd needed to play such a humiliating role a number of times.

Unfortunately for him, the increasingly-unnerved girl gradually began to break down in front of him.

"I'm sorry... I just want somewhere quiet to sit-"

"Fuck's sake-look, if you're not gonna grow a damn spine, sit somewhere else."

The girl suddenly panicked, taking note of the particularly darkened area behind Neoru where most other empty seats sat.

"But it's dark back there!"

" And? It's quiet enough, right?"

"P-please-"

"GO. Jeez."

Now quivering, as if Neo's words chilled her to the core, the girl choked back a sob before moving towards the shadowy section behind him.

She was close enough for him to hear her slowly weep into the table, no doubt due to her attempting to keep close to what little light could touch the isolated region. He could tell by the familiar way she wept that the girl was scared out of her mind. A crestfallen, afflicted frown spread across his face as he heard her racked whimpers continue for longer and longer.

"We've all gotta straighten ourselves out eventually..." he thought to himself.

"Why is she crying?" said a voice which Neoru had initially detested. This time, though, it sounded... warm.

"Oh, it's you."

"No, I'm Zinco."

"...OK."

"Why is she crying?" Zinco repeated, only this time, there was an audible touch of charge in his voice. Despite Neoru being at least a solid 3 years older than Zinco, the latter had him beat in height by about 2 inches, quite evident now that Zinco's full height was now visible.

"Oh, yeah, she came up to me like some nervous wreck and I told her to keep moving."

"HUH? WHY?"

Hey, if you're so concerned, why not go check up on her yourself?"

"Ah!~ You're right!" Zinco propped up, tail wagging and absurdly large tray of food in tow. Neoru turned away to flash a wholesome grin.

"Still..." Zinco briefly turned back around, disapproving emerald eyes meeting apathetic violets.

"That wasn't nice."

"Nope." Neo bluntly stated. "Move it."

Zinco nodded and headed towards the distant, sulking girl.

* * *

 _This emotional wreck is called Kaza._

 _As one may deduce from initial appearance, Kaza is a Majin; a mystic race born with unnatural strength and the ability to alter reality on a whim. Long ago, while time itself was a child and existence was still a swirling chaos, the precursor of this race brought destruction upon the universe. Many eons down the line, with the assistance and kindness of a certain Saiyan, the creature known as Buu was broken from its never-ending cycle of violence, and as such, sought out for a peaceful life. This Buu found love, made a wife and had children who spread across the universe on their own accord, calling themselves "Majin."_

 _However, unlike most others of her species, Kaza wasn't formed by Buu or the fabrics of spacetime. Put bluntly, she was an experiment, given life in a distant planet's lab. As such, both this and her history garnered distrust and kept her distant, both physically and mentally, from even those closest to her appearance. She'd known warmth from only one person throughout her ten years of existence, and after his passing, it seemed like she'd only sink further into loneliness._

A sudden **thud** nearly sent Kaza through the roof in surprise, her gleaming black-and-white eyes wide with shock.

 _Which is why this day was so important to her._..

"Yo!" greeted Zinco.

Kaza's shock persisted as she gazed upon Zinco's teetering tower of teriyaki and veggies.

Kaza's concern and unease gradually turned into confusion as Zinco began to mow through the meal which formerly stood a few heads above him, his tail practically going berserk as he tore into the meal.

Slowly but surely, suspicion and paranoia set in upon here. It didn't make sense how someone would willingly choose to sit in such an isolated area, no less with someone with her appearance. And he was at such ease, as if he knew her beforehand.

"Why?"

"Hmm?" Zinco mumbled while chewing a rougher piece of meat. "Why?"

"Why did you sit here?"

Zinco finally swallowed after a hard-fought battle with his morsel.

"Because you were crying."

Zinco'd unintentionally offended the Majin, who saw his reasoning akin to observing a burning train wreck. Thankfully, Zinco was fantastic at reading people. He saw the pained expression and slumped shoulders, and elaborated upon his explanation.

"You sounded scared, but... you look too nice to feel that way."

"Too nice?"

( _ **BGM: Baki OST - Lovers2**_ )

Zinco chuckled a bit. "I'm not good with words."

"No, you aren't" Kaza giggled, immediately covering her mouth afterwards in horror.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"You're right. I'll just have to get better at them! I'm Zinco, what your name?"

Kaza had trouble remembering her name amidst the memories of others she'd been called. It came down to either "Demon" or "Kaza" and she chose the one she liked more.

"Kaza."

Zinco reached into his nigh-obliterated pile of food and pulled out a piece of chocolate.

"Here, Kaza, eat this!" Zinco proudly held out a bar reading "Kroukai" in green italics on its bright blue wrapper. "These are the best!"

"Oh, it's alright, you can have it..."

"That just makes me want you to eat it more!" Zinco gave an ear-to-ear smile to Kaza. "Pleeeeease?"

Kaza slowly inspected the treat before just as slowly picking up the bar and taking a bite.

Simply put, it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

So much so that tears began flooding down her face.

Zinco became concerned. "Ah-I'm sorry, I thought you'd like it!"

"I do."

"Then... why are you-"

Kaza jumped up and nearly squeezed the life out of Zinco.

"Thank you!" she repeatedly stammered out between sobs. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Despite the bone-crunching pressure, Zinco found that she was cuddly, almost like a matress made out of play-doh.

"I'll pay you back! I'll make sure I pay you back... for all of this...!"

"No, you don't need to-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Kaza yelled, shaking half of the entire cafeteria and drawing eyes. Didn't help that more and more sunlight shined through the ceiling window, illuminating the once-gloomy section of the commons and drawing even more attention to Zinco's bright-yellow temple gi.

"If not for your sake... then for mine. " Kaza wiped her tears and flashed the same toothy grin Zinco had given her.

"I'll make things even, Zinco!"

* * *

 **Yo! OP here.**

 **Abbachio is fucking dead, Dokkan is trash, Kengan Asura is solid, and I am about the laziest bastard on the face of the planet. Got hit in the face by SO many writer's block episodes throughout this chapter's conception that I'm starting to forget shit.** **Still, I'm glad I got to establish Kaza (Kazam. It was gonna be Maepol, leave me alone) as a character. Gonna somewhat base her around the generic "Dumbass MC's Bitch" trope, though not to the degree of most; down the line, she'll help Zinco become less and less of a child, though his innocence will be a mainstay. I'm also just gonna stop that "Next Time" BS because it's abundantly clear that I have zero idea and just do what I think would suit the story more, at least until I get a solid idea of where the plot is going. (Graduate's Strongest Above Heavens Arc is gonna be ill, just watch.) Unless it's like a joke or something. Welp, that's about it. See ya.**

 **Next Time: Not-Mugen and Not-Sadie Kane discuss the current economic decline of Jahcoin. Hilarity ensues.**


	11. Just a Touch Spells Defeat!

**Mysterious Adversary! Just a Touch Spells Defeat!**

"If not for your sake... then for mine!" soundly declared Kaza, a young yet-brimming resolve burning within her.

"For our sake, can you KEEP IT DOWN OVER THERE?"

Steam erupted from Kaza's many bodily cavities in embarrassment (bizarrely enough, only now did Neoru and Zinco take notice of them, and and they most certainly took notice after the fact.)

"ᴵ'ᵐ ˢᵒʳʳʸ ᵖˡᵉᵃˢᵉ ᶠᵒʳᵍᶦᵛᵉ ᵐʸ ʳᵘᵈᵉⁿᵉˢˢ " she shamefully mumbled.

* * *

"So I'm... both?" Dina asked, still taking in the news.

"According to the scans, yes."

"... wow." Dina slumped back into her chair.

"What's wrong?" asked the counselor, a cat-ish figure with elongated ears.

"It's just that... wow." Dina repeated in a trance-like state. "Not every day that you're informed you're half-space man. Sounds like something plucked straight out of a comic book."

"Comic... book?"

"You're kidding."

"... it's regardless. The fact of the matter is, you need to start behaving yourself, young lady."

"Uh-huh."

"Causing such disruptions is detrimental to your knowledge as a Time Patroller!"

"Yeah."

"I'm serious! If a disturbance of that magnitude happens again, there'll be serious repercu-"

Dina suddenly rose to her feet and began to walk out in the middle of the counselor's reprimanding.

"Look, as much as I'd just love to spend all day sitting through your 5-hour dialogue going through my various crimes against humanity... I wouldn't. Cheers."

The counselor just watched as she slammed the door.

"... have an excellent day!"

 _"Hard to believe the loser just let me talk like that,"_ Dina thought to herself as she walked off. _"Like come on, at least try to establish yourself!"_ She gave her hand a curious stare, as if it were alien... because, she'd recently found out, it kind of was.

 _"So I'm part-Saiyan, huh? Weird. Feels like this should change something, but... just doesn't. I'm still me, albeit with yet another cool title under my belt. Dina, The Super Saiyan. Heh, I've been a Saiyan for all of 30 minutes, and I'm already Top of the Food Chain. Lovin' it."_

She continued her plan to ditch for the rest of the day, only with a more confident strut than before.

 _"Diiiinaaaa, thee Suppa Saiyaaa..."_

* * *

The slide flipped.

"While the exact number within each and every organism is unknown, on average, there are approximately 8 points of pressure around a living being's body."

The slide flipped.

"Simply put: certain areas in your head, neck, arms, sides, upper and lower legs, even your chest, core, and in many cases, the gro-"

Stroga was interrupted by a stifled chuckle, followed by several hushes and an "Are you 5?"

"-the groin, all contain these points of vulnerability. While it's best to stay on your guard and simply avoid taking hits to these areas, enough skill and timing can win battles against stronger opponents if you wish you utilize them; when said areas are hit with enough precision and force, effects can vary from temporary debilitation, to seizures, to permanent paralysis... to death."

"If you're some squishy sissy, sure!" laughed a spandex-clad young man from the front rows.

"Is that a taunt or a volunteering?"

The boy hushed up for a moment before grinning.

"You know what? Sure, I'll play!"

Like an absolute show off, he leaped from his row and onto Stroga's platform. Confidence practically oozed from his smirk as his tail unwrapped from his waist.

"My name's Archi! And anyone of you lugheads can come down and try to poke me to death anytime!" Archi was a solid 2 meters tall, with a bouquet of spikes atop his head coming down as bangs. Most notably, the 17-or-so boy was built like a truck. His frame was visible through his scarlet training suit, as if it were a blaring second skin.

Stroga shrugged. "Participation credit is in order for the first to present themselves and showcase a basic understanding of pressure points through a brief spar with our eager volunteer. If no one's willing, however, I'll give a live demonstration of their efficiency."

About a dozen hands flew up.

 _ **(BGM: Hajime No Ippo - Irradation)**_

"All I need do is aim at one of the 8 areas, right?" announced a Musai coming up to Archi's waist. "This'll be easy!"

The Musai charged at Archi, before blindly laying into his vital areas with hundreds of mach-speed punches. Once the assault had finished, to his shock and horror, Archi continued to stand tall.

"No dice, rack-head!" he boasted before sending him wailing back into the stands with a kick.

"Don't let history fool you; throwing all caution to the wind and blindly hoping for the best is a wonderful way to die on the battlefield. No points received."

* * *

"A Saiyan's most sensitive area is their tail," a tall, dark Namekian donning a large red robe spoke to himself. "If I can strike, or even just grab it, I can end this and use these points to recover from all that skipping I did!"

"You think really loud," Arch stated with a poker face. "Also, quit eyeing my tail like it's a piece 'a meat. It's embarrassing."

"I-UH-AW, SCREW IT!" The Namekian took note of his error before charging forth, hand outstretched. "I HAVE TO TRY!"

He was only a meter away from his target before it smacked him upside his head.

"You're not a very subtle person, are you?" Archi mocked.

"Knowledge of a vulnerable area, but you failed to effectively put that knowledge to use. The attack loses all viability once the enemy knows your intent. Even a specific stance can give your strategy away in a battle. No points received. (But an A for effort!)"

* * *

"'Pressure point,' huh?" Kora chuckled to herself.

"That's the idea, sweetstuff," Archi purred, seductively winking at the built Saiyan female. "I'm a bit delicate, though, so try not to hurt me too bad, m'kay?"

Kora deviously smirked. "Oh don't worry..." Soon enough, a high-speed foot shot right into Archi's groin, nearly popping his eyes out and sending him to the floor in a fit of hellish agony.

"Oh come on, you big baby! I didn't even hit you that hard!"

Stroga rubbed his eyes. "Highly inefficient in an actual combat scenario... but I suppose It's my fault for not specifying. That is, in fact, knowledge of a point of pressure, so..." he ground his teeth. "Credit is due."

"Alright!" Kora shouted in an over-girlish tone, pumping her wrists up in victory.

The 9 others who tried her strategy received concussions.

* * *

"I, Lepeient, have trained in the mystic arts of the Fly-Plucking Hellfist for all of my 15 years! I'm destined to pass this trial!" declared a tall, soft-colored being with 2 flowing tendrils protruding from his head. "Prepare yourself, warrior!"

The foe proceeded to emit an ear-piercingly high-pitched battlecry as he deliberately hit specific areas within Archi's abdominal region with elegant and precise motions. Even Archi was briefly taken aback by the grace on display. Lepeient finished his barrage after a few seconds and pointed dramatically.

"5 seconds. You've 5 seconds until your body crumples to the ground, like a fly bombarded... with BUGSPRAY!"

Archi stood in motion. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide, and he felt an uneasy sensation within himself. Hardly moments later, he began to violently convulse and fall to the floor... in laughter.

"OH GOD, THAT TICKLES! MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP!"

Lepeient stood in confusion. "Impossible... I'm certain I'd struck at least 30 of his.. How could this-"

Lepeient emitted yet another high-pitched scream once he caught a glance at his now-broken fingers. At the same time, his opponent slowly rose from his laughing fit.

"You sneaky bastard, you actually tried to tickle me to death!" Archi chuckled. "Kudos for the weird technique, but this is supposed to be serious, right?"

A swift kick sent Lepeient hurdling back into the rows.

"So get off my platform, clown."

* * *

"Don't let that skirmish's results deceive you, class," Stroga clarified. "Lepeient there displayed surprisingly exceptional technique, precision, and accuracy."

Stroga proceeded to present Archi, smug as ever.

"The problem lied within his opponent, and the immense gap in power between the two. While indeed effective, pressure points will lose their viability as you face stronger opposition. Enemies' weaker points will become more and more resilient to such attacks, and some could possess no such points of vulnerability at all, or any vital organs for that matter-"

"Teach, nice lecture and all, but my legs are kiiiiilling me right about now."

Stroga sighed. "Point taken. With that, class is hereby-"

 _"Wait."_

"AW COME THE FUCK ON!" Neoru screeched at the top of his lungs from the back of the class. Both Stroga and Archi's heads snapped in surprise toward the soft, unfamiliar voice.

 _ **(BGM: Baki 2018 OST - Thugress )**_

Behind the instructor stood a small (coming up to Archi's elbows) young woman. She possessed dead, cat-like hazel eyes, incredibly-long scarlet hair which came down in a loop ponytail on one end and bangs in the front - and yet still managed to wrap around her neck like a scarf _**-**_ and a black, extremely old-fashioned oriental garb outlined in indigo.

"When did you-"

 _"Fight,"_ she stated.

"... I'm sorry, but the extra-credit opportunity has expired. However, if you're still willing to score some extra points, I am holding a seminar tomorrow on the benefits of acupun-"

While Stroga went on about concepts she didn't quite understand or care for, the girl slowly rose her finger toward the Saiyan.

 _"Fight."_

"Me? Fight you? No way!"

Archi's voice deepened, and rose petals began falling from nowhere.

"How could I bring myself to hurt something so small and fragile?"

Without warning, he gently clasped one of her hands.

"Someone with such delicate beauty... should never feel the need to fight."

("Earth chicks eat this kinda stuff up, from what I've seen! So glad humans love their romance holoflicks!")

 _"sõngshÔU...!"_

"Huh-" was all Archi got out before the girl struck 2 areas around his shoulders with pinpoint accuracy. In the blink of an eye, his arms shot up in intense pain, clutching his crippled arm and falling to his knees in a stammering mess.

Neoru began to pay much closer attention.

"Damn..." he thought to himself, slowly rising from his seat to get a closer look. "Big guy should be able to shrug those off like nothing, but... that's definitely not the case!"

"Those points..." Zinco muttered to himself. "How did she reach those areas with hits so soft?"

"Huh?"

"Hm?"

Neoru grinned. "You're just as curious as me, ain't ya? In that case..."

"Wait, what are YOU-"

"WHAT DID... HOW DID YOU..." Archi screeched between tortured howls. The young woman simply looked down in disgust.

" _Never touch me,"_ she hissed, venom dripping from her words as she looked down upon the boy, a concoction of wrath and disgust visible within her eyes.

" _Hóu Guǐ."_

"YO!"

The girl's eyes darted towards the voice which boomed from the top of the rows. Unintelligible pleads coupled it.

"How the hell'd someone as puny as you pull one on that overgrown doofus?"

Knowing only bare-minimum outside her language, the girl stared wide-eyed at the speaker.

"What? Am I comin' through? Not loud enough or something?"

She tilted her head to the side, wondering what the boy said, or if he was even talking to her.

"Aw for- HOW YOU FIGHT TAIL BOY GOOD?" he callously yelled, throwing hand signs in-sync with his words.

With that, the girl returned to her stoic expression, turned her head and walked off.

 _"No_ _Hóu Guǐ_ _. No care-"_

The boy jumped from his row in an overdramatic fashion, landing in front of the girl.

" _Oh,_ " Zinco muttered in defeat.

"Show me. Fight," Neoru coyly demanded, pointing to himself.

The sudden landing startled the girl, sending her back a few meters in retaliation. A defensive stance was taken as soon as feet hit the floor.

After tending to Archi, Stroga attempted to protest the ensuing battle.

"Damn it... WHAT PART OF 'EXPIRED' DO YOU TWO NOT UNDERSTAND? THERE WON'T BE ANYTHING COMING OUT OF THIS BUT DETENTION!"

"You think I give a damn about attention?" Neoru responded in a completely serious tone. "This'll be about the only damn thing I walk outta here remembering!"

With that, Neoru jumped forth.

 _"Fine then..."_ the girl whispered, before dashing towards Neoru, using her left heel to propel herself forward.

She attempted a leaping jab with her left hand, whic Neoru dodged.

"I ain't an expert on 'pressure points' by any means, but I sure as hell know where to hit where it hurts!" he thought to himself triumphantly as he aimed a fist under her elbow, middle finger's mid-phalanx outstretched.

Before the scarlet-haired girl's eyes, her arm snapped.

And then, Neoru's fist made contact.

"WHAT THE..!" Neoru's eyes widened as the girl's arm seemingly dislocated on its own, leaving his fist with a target comprised of nothing but flesh. Her arm resembled a wet noodle as it harmlessly bent around the blow.

In that vital moment of distraction, the girl's free hand struck Neo's shoulder, laming it before giving him a quick, gentle back kick to the dead-center of his face.

Neoru staggered back, his nose suddenly pouring blood. His thoughts became hazy, his breaths grew shallow, and his vision blurred.

"W-wait... How-I don't get..."

He struggled just to move forward, just to reach out and attempt to grab his opponent and continue to fight. The girl looked back for a moment, a brief face of pity, before walking off.

"Hey... don't... you walk away from..."

Neoru woke up in the resident ER.

He remembered why he was in his current state, and used what little strength he had left to bash the back of his head into the pillow he'd been napping on.

"Fffffuck."

* * *

 **We'll wrap that up there.**

 **Yo! OP here.**

 **As previously stated in the other fic I posted earlier today, it was a long line at the gas station. Seriously though, I wanted to make sure EVERYTHING was spot-on here: Characters acting in ways that fit them, establishing the new character (Mandarin's gonna be a rarity from here-on to avoid butchering the language, I promise), and most importantly, the implementation of a balance system to combat power creep: pressure points! Or ki blocking... or bio-electrical martial arts... look, it's gonna make sure fights don't always end in screaming and Kienzan's concept will be integral to it.**

 **Whilst I awaited my confrontation with the cashier, I happened upon this manga series called Vinland Saga. Y'all should read it, it's amazing and the lessons it teaches are valuable as hell. Zinco's gonna take a bit from Adult Thorfinn, and this upcoming character's gonna take some from Teen Thorfinn. So yeah, read that. I finished The Serpant's Shadow, too, good, but not Vinland Saga good. Thorfinn smacks Carter any day, don't me pls.**

 **As for the series... I'll try to get the next chapter out by this time next Sunday. My promises aren't worth ass, so I'll just try my hardest to make it happen, and that'll be all. In future updates, expect to see stuff like character bios (Like Kengan Asura's End-of-Chapter slides do) that'll let you see more about the character being discussed so I don't have to worry about in-story descriptions so much. Also lets me envision the character better.**

 **These talks are nice. Regardless, everyone stay safe. Love you all, and peace.**

 **((up next maybe: neo's mad, amgeryy devil-saiya boy, kora verbally bitchsmacks dina)))**


	12. Dina, Are You As Hopeless as You Seem?

**Tarnishing of the Legendary Form! Dina, Are You as Hopeless as You Seem!?**

"I'm perfectly sane, thanks for asking" Trunks replied to his forearm in a dry tone.

Said forearm began shouting incoherently.

"Supreme K-Look, just-" he took ahold of his tattered hair in a huff, pieces of his coat hanging from his elbow.

The forearm maintained. All the while, violent yellow eyes staring a hole through the cloaked swordsman's back. Arc-like restraints around the "Saiyan's" wrists and ankles were all that stood between he and another attempt to maul the man who'd taken him to who-knows where, as he sat hunched and in criss-cross.

"I know it seems... self-defeating... letting something like this stay here, but I've got faith in Shenron's judgement. The big guy hasn't let us down yet, and it's clear that this kid's brimming with potential. He just needs a bit of..."

Trunks turned the chair around to face the newest addition to the Patrol's forces, who met his gaze and retaliated with a ferocious, wide-eyed glare a low growl.

"Domesticating…"

* * *

"Why can't I!?"

Kora had asked herself this question ever since she'd seen the form in action. At first, it served as motivation – a legendary state that any Saiyan could gain by pushing themselves over the edge served as one hell of a goal – but as she saw it more and more, the form became less a goal and more a constant reminder that she wasn't good enough. Today was perhaps the most glaring example.

She didn't even know she was a Saiyan. Every myth, every tall tale, every poem offering a shred of hope. She'd never heard any of them, couldn't recite not one by heart, yet there she was.

A Fucking Super Saiyan.

Just the thought of it had eaten away at Kora throughout the day. How a little shit like that could do what she'd pushed herself endlessly for, and treat it like it was just something she'd left in her back pocket. Nothing helped, it seemed; any and all food tasted bitter, and all sparring matches were worthless. Not even good-ol' slapstick with her good pal Archi could get her mind off it. Thus, she caved in to herself.

Somewhere in the business sector, a vacant, dark-blue and gadget-y room was being filled with flashing red lights and angry Dina noises.

"Stupid shit game!" Dina yelled in mild frustration as she violently shook the cabinet, which had resorted to frantically beeping in a state of panic. "What's this 'license required' nonsense about? It's a sodding arcade cabinet! Urrgh, what kinda dystopian shitshow is this where a video game about stupid spaceships is as encrypted as a fucking action-flick terminal?"

As she senselessly beat the innocent machine, Kora steadily approached her from behind.

"Trouble?"

Dina nearly smashed her head across the cabinet in shock. She spun around to see the familiar bushy-tailed brunette in bizarre, brick-red armor looking down on her.

"W-wha-I-"

"You know, there's a reason for that. Why no one's here, too. See, those who aren't lazy pieces-of-cat-scat are off working their asses off around this time of day, training or otherwise. No time for vidya, you know, and public hours passed a while ago. Speaking of cat-scat, what was your name again?"

Kora was almost as good as Dina at pissing people off.

"… Sorry, but I think you've forgotten who you're speaking to, Ms. Not a Super Saiyan" the latter remarked, collecting her nerve.

Almost.

"Regardless, I'll remind you." Dina's ego soared as she dramatically pointed to herself.

"Dina Spauk, Legendary Saiyan Extraordinaire, and somewhat of a living myth! And if you won't give me my due reverence, I'll just have to beat-"

"STOP TREATING IT LIKE IT'S JUST A FUCKING TITLE!"

Dina promptly hushed up.

"That form's so much more than that… so much more than you…"

Kora's fists balled, her nails nearly breaching skin and drawing blood.

"Why the hell is it so hard for you to understand that?"

Dina cringed a bit.

"Mate, your hair glows a bit and you can suddenly punch things harder. Think you're overselling it just a tad."

 _ **(BGM: Hunter X Hunter – Illusion)**_

Kora's eyes darkened. The flashing lights of the arcade cabinet periodically illuminated her glare in red. If looks could kill, Dina would've died on the spot.

"… Fight me."

"Huh? All those praises you were singing about Super Saiyans, and suddenly you want to take on the real deal?"

"No."

"Then by all means, you utter time bomb, piss off and let me figure out how to-"

"I don't want to fight a Super Saiyan. I want to fight YOU."

"… come again?"

"I want to know where you've gotten such a high opinion of yourself. I mean, it can't just end at 'Going Gold' right? Fight me, without your crutch. I'll show you just how worthless you are, princess."

Dina was at the point of shaking, her crimson eyes amplified by the arcade lights. Any more and she'd've lunged at Kora's throat there and then.

"Oh, a right comedian you are. Fine, then. I've wanted to punt you square in the face ever since you opened your prissy lil' yap, regardless."

Kora grinned, the tip of her tail swaying back and forth like a pendulum in a vacuum. With one hand, she led the way out, her smug face one last wordless insult.

* * *

"Back-to-Back blast, call me Ki-Master"

"Mmh"

"Train on the daily, y'all playin' catch-up"

"Damn"

"Buu saw me comin', he runnin' faster"

"Damn"

"…tagged his ass with the final flasher"

"Ayyy."

"OK, but all the moves you could've named it, and you chose 'final flasher?' You're gonna catch a cease-and-desist or the prince's fists running around with an attack name like that. Not even in that order."

"Locard, you're worrying about the wrong stuff right now-"

"Nah, I'm worrying about your well-being, always doing stupid shit like this."

"See that's your proble-"

"H-HEY GUYS!"

The pride of young Saiyans looked up (one of them down, using their tail to hang from a high-hanging bar) in unison at the Namekian, who was panting for reasons unbeknownst.

"FIGHT! THERE'S A FIGHT HAPPENING IN THE CENTER OF TOWN!"

"… and why are you telling us?"

The Namekian began sweating harder. "W-well, I just thought that…"

"That what? Just because we're Saiyans, we all wanna digest meaningless violence on principle? That we all just drop everything we're doing to watch a fight that gets no one anywhere for the sake of some cheap thrill?"

"I… I was wrong, please forgive me…" the Namekian said, shamefully hanging his head in shame before sulking away from the ledge, the Saiyans seeing him off with disappointed gazes.

"…"

"…"

"… so y'all tryna watch two ignorant muhfuckas beat each other half-to-death over petty shit no one cares about?"

"Obviously! Let's get on it before we miss it!"

"You see that man's face? Priceless."

The aforementioned fight was not going well for Dina.

"Why?" she desperately questioned herself while laboring in breath, blood dripping from her mouth. "Why can't I touch her!?

"'Saiyan Extraordinaire'" Kora repeated to herself, giving a dry, lifeless chuckle. "Gosh, you're about the saddest excuse for a Saiyan I've ever seen. This was a mistake."

Dina grit her teeth, hard enough to draw more blood. "Will you just-"

With that, she dashed forward, fist raised high.

"-SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH ALREADY!"

Kora took the full force of the attack, ignoring her fist's existence entirely.

"I knew children stronger than you."

"I SAID SHUT IT!" Dina screamed, throwing a barrage of punches which Kora casually stepped away from.

"When I first thought of exposing you as the defenseless brat you are, I thought It'd feel amazing. But right now that I am…" she explained while slowly maneuvering around Dina's berserk-like flurries. One half-hearted deflection completely knocked the half breed off-balance. Eyes welling with tears, she whirled back around to face Kora. Feeling powerless – utterly, physically powerless – was a feeling foreign to her, and frankly, it terrified her. After a lingering glare dripping with hatred, she mindlessly lunged at her again.

"All I feel is SORRY!" Kora exclaimed before sweeping Dina's legs, causing her to fall flat on her face. Dina audibly swallowed a sob, her body shaking violently out of a mixture of fear and anger. All Kora could feel while looking down on her was pity.

"How pathetic. How absolutely pathetic. If this is all it takes to become a Super Saiyan, then…" she lamented, walking away from the wreck before her. Dina let out one last attempt at an attack before being backhanded into the pond. The crowd, which had amassed a while ago, erupted into a discord of concern and praise. A few arguments even broke out.

Kora didn't feel any pride or satisfaction. She just wanted to leave. To forget this.

But that silence she'd heard inside the school began to set again.

Then, a power dwarfing hers began to form.

 _ **(BGM: Aldnoah Zero – aLIEz Instumental)**_

Dina, still struggling to remain conscious, slowly stood from the fountain, both her power and her gradually-blonding hair steadily rising.

"Damn it!" Kora's expression got dire. "Should've knocked her out!"

"I'll show you."

"What?"

Water began to rise around the enraged girl. Dina's scowl was weak. Without a doubt, she'd been absolutely defeated, absolutely humiliated. And yet…

"You heard me, you bitch. Whatever it takes. I'll show you. And when I do…"

"When I DO…"

Waves began to rise and crash around her. In an instant, all her rage exploded.

"I'LL MAKE YOU RUE THE DAY YOU EVER MET ME!" she roared, donning the unmistakably violent golden aura, teal eyes, and flaring hair.

"AND IT'LL BE ON MY OWN!"

" _WITHOUT_ THIS STATE!"

 **"AND THERE WILL BE NOT ONE BLOODY THING YOU CAN DO OR SAY ABOUT IT!"**

 _ **"I SWEAR I~T!"**_

Using up what little strength she had for her bold declaration, Dina's knees gave way, and she fell unconscious over the decorative pond's railing.

* * *

Once again, she was the first to find the young half-breed. She also, once again, attempted to walk off. A small, defenseless groan was all it took to make her, once again, fail to be indifferent.

" _That was…"_

 _"No way…!"_

 _"Shit we missed it!"_

 _"… **I doubt it.** "_

Dina's eyes shot open to a dim, starless "night" sky. She attempted to get up, only to be greeted by a surge of pain on her everywhere. The hissing noise she made caught the attention of her temporal caretaker.

"Was beginning to believe I was dealing with a coma. Welcome back, princess."

Dina shot up again at that last remark, this time ignoring the pain.

"THERE YOU ARE, YOU BI-Oh. It's you!"

The sincerity in Dina's voice almost put a smile on Ayeva's face.

"It's a small city."

She examined the warm, heated blanket on top of her, as well as her surroundings.

"So… instead of taking me to a hospital… or emergency room, or whatever's used here… you simply sat me on a bench and placed a blanket over me?"

"You couldn't've gone to the ER. You were still attending classes."

Dina suddenly fell speechless. A smile gradually overtook her face.

"Thanks."

"Now, then. Is there a reason you were definitely in school?"

Dina suddenly took a deep breath, her expression shifting into a furious scowl. Ayeva's eyes widened in abstract horror upon realizing the door she'd just opened.

 **"OKSOIWASINCLASSLEARNINABOUTHISONESHINYBLOKEWITHGOLDENHAIRANDSOIWASLIKE"BLIMEYHESURESTRIKESMEFAMILIAR"SOIWASLIKE"ICANDOTHATTOOWICKEDRIGHT"BUTTHENTHISABSOLUTECUNTANDAHALFGETSONMECASEOUTOFTHEWOODWORKLIKE"YOUCANTDOTHATBUHBUHBUHIMASTUPIDBITCHANDMYFATHERDIDNTHUGMEENOUGH"ANDTHENSHEHASTHENERVETOPUTHERFILTHYMITTSONMELIKEWHOTHEBLOODYHELLDOESSHETHINKSHEISSOIMRIGHTFULLYLIKEPISSOFFMATEANDTHENTHISSHITHEADOFATEACHERTELLSMEOFFLIKEPISSOFFWHATABSOLUTEBOLLUCKSANDALSOTURNSOUTIMHALFSPACEMANANNND THEEEN… NOTEVENAMOMENTLATERIM-"**

Dina fell silent for a moment.

"…-Taaa **AKINGABITTORELIEVEMYSELFANDTHERESHEISJUSTOUTSIDEMEFUCKINDOORLIKESOMEPERVERTEDTWATTALKINEVENMORESHITLIKETHEJEALOUSSLAGSHEISSOIMLIKE"THEREAPROBLEMHEREMATEIMJUSTTRYNAGOBACKTOCLASSANDLEARNABOUTTHETHINGSLIKEAPROPERSCHOLAR"BUTTHENSHE'SLIKE"FUCKOFFYABASTARDFIGHTME"ANDSHEGIVESMENOTACHOICESOIGOOUTANDATTEMPTAPEACEFULNEGOTIATIONBUTTHENSHEJUSTSTARTSDECKINMEANDIHADNOCHOICEBUTTORETALIATEANDIMHOLDINMYOWNFORATIMEBUTTHENSHETHROWSAMASSIVEFUCKOFFSLAMMERHOUSEONMYBLINDSIDEAND-"**

Literal sparks began to fly from Ayeva's eyes.

"Please! Summary!"

Dina nodded her head.

"… and I want to become stronger."

"You know," Ayeva said, holding her chin, "School's a great place to get stronger."

"Oh like HELL it isssS definitely a great place. Knowledge is power, and all that! I'd know. Never skipped a day, I haven't!"

"You're a terrible liar."

"Or maybe you're just very good at deduction?"

"."

"Touuuuu…ché?"

"No. School."

"But come on! Doesn't being immobile and listening to draining lectures for half the day seem a bit counter-intuitive in regards to helping you punch things better?" Dina questioned in a last-ditch effort to have someone see things her way. Needless to say, Ayeva wasn't having it.

"So you really haven't stayed for more than 30 minutes, huh?"

"Eh?"

Ayeva rose from her seat, pulling up a holographic screen of what seemed to be rows of fluctuating bars of data.

"I won't spoil the fun for you, but… Patience. Have patience. And power will come to you. Get some sleep, wake up early tomorrow, make a B-Line for Orange Star. You only need to attend for the equivalent of… say, 9 months in your timeline. You'll be stronger by the end, I promise."

Dina puffed her face in a huff. Ayeva sighed as she adjusted the hologram.

 _ **(BGM: 14? Ft. Substantial – When the Luster Fades Instrumental)**_

"I'll leave you with this, then: 'I want to become stronger, therefore…'" she said, looking Dina in the eyes as she suddenly exploded into tiny cubes and vanished.

After hastily looking for where Ayeva could've gone, Dina kicked the ground.

"BLAST…! Just leave me with some cryptic Shaolin rubbish, will you?"

She calmed down a tad, glumly looking upward into the surreal velvet strands of ether flowing through the dark-violet blanket of void passing itself off as what she knew as night.

 _"Whatever it takes. I'll show you."_

"Whatever it takes, huh…"

She pulled the damp, indigo blanket over her shoulder, making her way from the vacant plaza toward her flat.

"I sure hope I'm up for this 'it'…"

* * *

 **Yo! OP here!**

 **So yeah. 2 weeks have technically not past. That means I MET MY DEADLINE BABYYYY!**

 **No but seriously, 2 weeks should be my sweet spot for making something that I'm confident in. If there's ever a set schedule for this fic, It'll definitely be bi-weekly. Had a Neoru segment in here describing his brief stay in the ER ward, but ultimately decided against including it, just felt out of place.**

 **Regardless, I really enjoyed making this chapter. Introduced the next character in a subtle-enough way, fleshed out a character I never even originally intended on making prevalent (she went from tournament throwaway to one of the primary fighters) and most importantly, Dina's character is finally going somewhere! Not Gohadie Kane's becoming one of my favorite characters to work with, won't lie.**

 **Oh, let's try a character bio for the fist time! Starting with the definitely main character that isn't Dina for some reason, even though she's definitely the main character at this point!**

 **Name: Neo-Ru**

 **Age: 15**

 **Height: 170cm (5'7)**

 **Attire: Scruffy, dark-grey, short-cut short-sleeve duster covered in stitches with a violet tribal design alluding to a dragon on the back. Underneath, a white shirt advertising something. Varies frequently. Shoes are worn, dark blue. (Similar to Trunks's or Videl's kicks. Dunno, regrettably haven't spent much time on shoes.) Black/blue Single-strap bookbag serves as makeshift sheath for blade, too big for a dagger and a bit too small for a genuine sword. Lightweight with a bizarrely-malleable metal that seems to absorb kinetic energy. Dark beige, black-highlighted kapris adorn his bottom half (the fuck?), coming up to his knees almost.**

 **Appearance: Brown Complexion (Think a sorta-hispanic look, Neoru's background is pretty indigenous-esque in nature), floofy hair coming off in front of his face/back of his head in spike-like straight tufts, violet eyes are sharp-yet-rounded (think a fusion of Yamcha and Tien's eyes, best analogy I could come up with.) He's quite scarred.**

 **This was a pretty... no, this was entirely a Dina-focused chapter, so naturally, next one's gonna be centered around Neoru and his red-hot, searing, absolute indifference (or so he thiiiinks) towards his recent L. Should also have the reveal of this mystery Saiyan I've been overhyping for a minute now. Maybe a bit of Zinco and Voshyo, as well, still setting it up and thinking it out.**

 **Hope y'all are having a good one, be safe as always, and uhh... yeah.**

 **That's about it. Later.**


	13. Udpate: Grug No Spell Gud :(

**::::IO IOFSYR::::**

oh for-

 **::::OP UPDATE::::**

As the great Aristotle once said, whilst communing to his fellow enlightened colleagues, "I've made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgement."

Yeah, I was rereading through my own work today when I realized, "Oh dear god, this shit was typed by a 6 year old." I mean, WOW, it was bad. Spent the rest of the day correcting what I could find (I found a lot) I'd go back, and I'd STILL find poor spelling, mistypes, and the like.

However, despite it still very well being present, you probably noticed the major decrease in errors in the last chapter. And no, it isn't because Based Ayeva fixed everything. Yeah, I'm actually using Word to type out the fic now. Most definitely should've done this sooner (I'd be a LOT farther in than I am now, let me just say) because now I don't have to worry about hours and days of progress being Dendesmacked out of existence due to the slightest mishap.

Or do I.

God I hope I don't.

R-regardless, next chapter's in internal development as we speak and I'M liking what I have thus far. Stay tuned and thanks for tolerating my incompetence. Love y'all.

That's about it. See ya.


	14. Can a Fighting Spirit Truly Dissipate?

**Neoru's Dilemma! Can A Fighting Spirit Truly Dissipate?**

 **[YESTER-AGE]**

"OOOOORRRRIYAAAAAA-"

"C-COME ON, BRO, JUST GIVE ME A BREAK!"

"-AAAAAAAAAAAA-"

"AIN'T YA TIRED AT ALL? 30 MINUTES, THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING!"

"-AAAAAAAAAAAA-"

"H-HUNGRY!? I SWEAR I'LL GET YOU SOMETHING YUMMY FROM THE CITY RIGHT NOW IF YOU JUST STOP!"

"-AAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"OH GOD OH FU-"

The teen's lungs had each and every bit of air promptly exorcised from them courtesy of a small child's stupidly-thick head.

"NEVER!" the would-be preschooler declared between labored breaths. "I'VE ALWAYS GOTTA KEEP FIGHTING, LIKE YOU SAID!"

"I meant… That's not what I…" the elder brother wheezed, clutching his stomach and rolling on the ground in pain.

A good 30 minutes later, the two shared a bag of bread and freshly-caught fish over a campfire.

"There's a difference between pushing on during a real fight, and pushing it during practice. You need to know that, Neo," the older brother stated, accented tone wedged between warmth and "this kid will be the death of me!"

Neo continued to stuff his little face.

"(Shenron's Whiskers, he isn't even listening.)" He cleared his throat, catching his sibling's attention.

"There are also more ways to fight. And with that, more ways to give up."

"Huh? What does that mean?" Neo asked, bewildered.

"Say… a buff guy's fighting a lanky guy. The lankier guy shows something to the buff guy that makes him give up, even though he most definitely could've won. Follow?"

Neo's face shifted in confusion ever-so slightly. "Mmm… Mm-Hm."

"Well… the big man no longer wanted to fight, because the scrawny man revealed something to him that, err… made him very sad."

"So he gave up the fight."

"Not just that."

The brother pointed to his head.

"If you give up in here, you give up the fight for now. The buff man gave up not only in here, but…"

He pointed to his heart.

"In here. If you give up here… you no longer want to fight."

"Is that because it stops pumping the blood stuff and you die?"

The older sibling laughed. "Too literal, goofball!"

With that, he ruffled Neo's fluffy hair as his voice took on a soft, sincere tone.

"This world will show you things. Things that will make you want to give up. But I know you're strong enough to bare it, even if you deny it as much as you can."

He proceeded to grab Neo's shoulder, staring directly into his eyes.

"The heart holds your fighting spirit, and I believe it shows through a person's eyes. And there's light in your eyes, Brother Mine. A fight. Don't let this world put it out. When I say 'keep fighting,' that's what I mean. Keep that burning light of yours."

Neo stared, clueless , before staring at the ground in reflection. He was pondering hard enough to borderline hurt himself.

"(How did you explain these things so well, Papa?) Look, just get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning. Goodnight, Neo."

As his brother turned on his own cardboard mattress, Neo lied face-up. His brother's dark-grey tribal vest made as a makeshift blanket.

"Keep… your light…?"

His violet eyes, each harboring a small patch of light, stared aimlessly into the infinite cosmos.

"I guess it just means… Keeps fighting. I can do that!"

A confident smile lined his face, eyes shimmering with resolve.

"Yeah! I'll always keep fighting!"

* * *

 **[PRESENT AGE, PRESENT DAY]**

"Sháo Mei… That's correct, right?" Trunks asked.

Mei nodded.

"Alright. (First Time, Every Time.) Now then…

Trunks pulled up a holographic image of Mei neutralizing Archi's arm with a touch, sending him to the floor and reducing him to a writhing mess. Just the sight of him made her tense.

"Mind explaining this?"

"It touched me."

"I doubt it ends there. You came up and picked a fight with him, even though there was nothing to gain from it."

Mei expression worsened.

"I needed to test myself."

"Test yourself?"

"Against a Hou Guǐ."

Trunks raised an eyebrow.

"'Evil spirits, tailed like monkeys."

"To me… and to them, and to the universe at large… they're called Saiyans."

"Saiyans…" the sheer hatred and fear in her voice made Trunks's skin crawl. At that point, he was getting a decent view of how she'd come to know the race. Likely how many planets before had the misfortune of encountering Saiyans.

They were likely how she wounded up here in the first place.

"Look… whatever Saiyans you've met in the past, I swear to you. There isn't one here that'd hurt you like they did-"

"How do you know?" Mei suddenly interrupted.

"Trust me, they would've never ended up here if-"

"WHY SHOULD I TRUST YOU?"

Trunks's control of the situation was slipping through his grasp like sand.

"THOSE BEASTS.… THEY TAKE WHAT THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO… THEY JUST TAKE AND TAKE UNTIL… NOTHING REMAINS..." she croaked as tears began to well, clutching herself in a panicked fit as if she were reliving something within her mind.

"Wait, I need you to calm down!"

"ALL THEY KNOW IS DEATH! ALL THEY KNOW IS..."

She suddenly clutched her throat in pain.

"I am weak. But when I progress… I make the 'Saiyans' pay myself."

What seemed like a day has past since then. The star in the sky began to peak through the dissipating void, forming a hazy sunrise. About 3-to-4 patrollers were out and about at the time. Mei happened to be one of them.

Mei jolted from her sleep atop a grassy plateau – the apartment she was assigned scared and confused her – in a cold sweat. Yet another nightmare remembering what little she'd gained, what little she'd loved for so long, and how so much was simply taken with such little effort. She cleared her eyes and pushed back her needle-like bangs, allowing her a cleaner view of Conton's surreal version of daybreak. It was calming, the dark-blue sky reviving memories of a younger Mei waking up early and racing to the top of the empirical palace to see the sun rise.

After an hour of practicing form, stretches, and meditation, she made her way down the path connecting the plateau's peak from the sky to the ground. The scene of the seemingly immovable mountain of a Saiyan falling to his knees suddenly popped into her mind again, giving her a satisfied smirk. That was a sign, a sign that she was coming ever closer to her goal of…

"That boy…?"

 _ **(BGM: One Million Way of Drum)**_

Neoru made his way toward her, fists clenched and a look of genuine resentment etched across his face.

"He wants to test me again…" Mei suddenly took a high stance, one that'd allow her to instantly counter any of his attacks with her own.

"It is fine with me! I will only defeat you again!"

His violet, void-like eyes stared daggers into hers. They were dead; hauntingly hollow and even more vacant than her own. They'd seen genuine darkness before, it was clear now that he was closer.

"Come on…!"

Neoru slowly reached toward his sword. His face began to contort into a scowl, as his legs began to shift into position.

"Come on!"

With utmost ferocity, Neoru let out a ground-shaking yawn, making a devastating turn left as he brutally rubbed his sore neck.

"-uckin' neck is killin' me…"

Mei just kinda stood there, dumbfounded. Her stance just looked stupid now.

"…eh?"

* * *

Neoru was an odd boy.

After waking, he just strolled out of the ER; the only thing particularly wrong at this point was that his neck had been stiffened, after all.

He took in the morning sun, and began walking around the vacant town. Along the way, the scary chick who'd kicked his ass just yesterday took up some kind of fighting pose randomly, weirdo.

If he can't learn how she was able to dismantle someone himself, then who cares? He'd only get his ass kicked or end up dead if he gave it another go.

"Fuckin' neck is killing me…" he muttered, his sleeping position the night before being less-than-comfortable.

 _He didn't know exactly why he was taking this walk._

"How the hell'd that water get so clear…?" he wondered as he sat by a crystal-blue waterfall.

"Wonder if anyone'd mind if I just took one of these…" he contemplated, mouth watering a bit as he circled what seemed like a cabbage crop amongst blue grass. Footsteps from within one of the spiked huts surrounding the crop quickly sent him on his way.

 _For the time being, he wanted to explore._

"… Please stop knocking on me," a helper bot asked in monotone.

"OH SHIT, YOU CAN TALK?"

"HEEEEY!" he screamed into the hazy sky. "BIG BLUE EYES IN THE SKY! CAN YOU TALK, TOO!"

"…"

"It's a rock, no shit it can't talk…"

Eventually, as he walked back and forth throughout the massive expanse (going in circles more times than he'd realized,) he found himself growing more and more annoyed for a reason he couldn't put his finger on. Like some chasm was being dug within him.

Neoru began to walk slower, and slower, until he finally ground to a halt. He sat on a row of stairs. Surrounded by nigh-complete silence, he found himself alone with his thoughts.

"… now what?"

 _He continued to sit_.

* * *

"I SWEAR, once I find the son of a bitch who bent up my game cabinet," Kaset grumbled, "It's they ENTIRE ASS!"

"Yeah, that'll accomplish a bunch…" Ayeva retorted.

"Oh yeah, it must feel amaaaazing to be able to ALWAYS take the moral high ground!"

"Also helps that I don't take 1s and 0s as serious as you do."

"… Your entire life is 1s and 0s. Don't you literally LEAD calcs?"

"… you-you know what I mea-Shut up."

The two veteran time patrollers spotted a familiar face as they continued towards their respective destinations.

"Hey, Stroga!" Kaset yelled, waving his hand, "How you been?"

The Namekian smiled, pausing his trek toward the Academy to meet up with old friends.

"I see you're still kicking! Blatant disregard for English's already-infuriating grammatical laws and all!"

Kaset chuckled, pulling Stroga in for a handshake. "Already know! So how's your class been?"

Stroga let out a frustrated sigh.

"That bad, huh?" Ayeva commented. Stroga glumly nodded his head.

"2 FIGHTS. IN ONE DAY. Absurd, I tell you. One period, 2 Saiyans enter a screaming contest over your typical petty Saiyan reasons, and the next, one human – ONE. TINY. HUMAN. – comes out of the blue before incapacitating two more students (one of them had the gall to interrupt the lesson again!) with some bizarre, nerve-shredding (in more ways than one, took forever to find the points to ease the pain) technique that I've literally never seen before. Absolute entropy soon after, had to call off the seminar early, ridiculous all around."

Ayeva gave a sympathetic giggle. "Calculations has its fair share of bumps, but I never have to deal with rookies. Wouldn't be caught dead doing anything else."

"What about the one I saw you helping out 2 days ago?" Kaset mentioned, flustering Ayeva.

"I… there's just some things I can't ignore," she muttered, folding her arms. "That's all."

"How are distortions looking?" Stroga asked, changing the subject and earning Ayeva's eternal gratitude.

"Just the usual. Anomalies are cropping up at constant rates across space-time, occasional minor rift in the fabric here and there, things are as normal as they'll ever be. Just more to keep you occupied, huh Kaset?"

Kaset's expression shifted a bit upon the mentioning of rifts; just enough for Ayeva to notice.

"Towa's been getting cryptic. No serious moves, but… I'm catchin' glimpses of her while I'm patrolling out the corner of my eye. It's like she's just teasing us right now. She's hatching something."

At the mere mention of that name, the atmosphere took a nosedive.

"Damn, looks like I ruined the mood. Don't worry; if she pulls anything serious, you'll be one of the first to know, Ayeva."

"I know that…just…"

Stroga sighed. "Class begins in 10 minutes. I hope to see you two by the day's end."

"Count on it. Don't let these bad little kids run all over you, either."

"Count on it." Stroga gave a weak smile before leaving.

"I'm gonna go do what I'm good at. Good luck," Kaset said to Ayeva, who gave him a light slug on the arm.

"I don't need luck, I need results. YOU'RE the one who needs luck, dimwit."

Kaset smirked, shrugging his shoulders before blasting off. "Whatever you say, Ice Queen. I'm gone."

"… If you die, I'll kill you…" Ayeva said to herself.

Kaset was halfway out of the city before spotting the kid he'd met a few days back who told a chick to kill herself below. The way he sat rang a few bells in his mind; he was either asleep or something was wrong.

"HEY, err, NEO!"

No response.

"You're up early!" He said in a chipper tone as he landed. "Starting to get adjusted to living here?"

No response.

"… what's wrong, Neo?"

"… I dunno," the boy weakly muttered.

"I think you do. Just that you don't know how to get it out yet."

Kaset gave a warm smile.

"You feel lost, don't you?"

"Hell no, I know this shithole like the back'a my hand now."

"(… You know what? That's my fault.)"

The veteran patroller took a different approach.

"Neo. What do you wanna do?"

"Not end up dead in some ditch somewhere, what else?"

"… Is that it?"

"And I'll say it again, what else? Don't want any damn name for myself, I just wanna keep survivin'."

Kaset took a seat on the same stair as Neoru.

"So day in, day out, you'll just keep surviving. Nothing greater than that, because to you, nothing greater exists; everything you do is for the sake of livin' another day. Never really had to think about how empty that felt because you just kept moving forward along, but now you're suddenly in a big comfy box, alone with hardly anything to work towards. Am I getting somewhere?"

"What are you, my fuckin' shrink?"

"I'm sayin' I get it, Neo. And I think I can help you through this."

Neoru was getting agitated.

"I don't need help dammit, I just need to think."

"Where's that gotten you so far?"

Neoru was getting angry.

"Look, just sitting down and dwelling on it's just gonna bring you deeper down this existential crisis I know you're having right now."

"Existen-WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU EVEN TALKIN' ABOUT!?" Neoru yelled, suddenly jumping up in a rage. "YOU'RE GONNA STOP TALKIN'A ME LIKE YOU'RE MY DAMN BROTHER OR SOME SHIT!"

Neoru suddenly paused, balling his fists.

"Class is starting pretty soon," Kaset stated calmly.

Neo jumped off the stairs and stormed off in a confused rage, desperate to escape whatever he'd found himself in.

"… Nice move, Kaset," he sighed. "Like that ever worked when you were in those shoes."

Neoru suddenly ran back.

"AN' STOP CALLIN' ME 'NEO,' JACKASS!"

* * *

"'Day in Day out You Just Keep Surviving' yeah no fuckin' shit ya' genius I don't need'a do anything else but keep this up how do ya' think I got so far as-is sorry I didn't choose to fuckin'... sew shit for the rest'a my life or some boring shit like-"

During his petty, high-speed-under-breath mumblethon, Neoru was suddenly hit by a locomotive.

"WATCH IT, YOU SODDING CLUTZ!" said locomotive yelled as it barged into the school.

.

.

 ** _(BGM: 14? Ft. Substantial – When the Luster Fades Instrumental)_**

As he lay face-up at the now-cerulean sky, He could hardly find the find the strength to stand.

And yet..

"The hell's the point?" he sighed as he stood back up regardless.

He couldn't explain it, as he couldn't with many things.

But something, a force he couldn't make out, or maybe some kind of genetic wiring. That annoying feeling that always accompanied him, demanding that he stand back up and keep moving whenever he wanted to lie down and die, or end it himself. Or maybe it was that furious inner fire that borderline train was giving off just now. Whatever it was, he was up now.

"Somethin' about light?" Neo muttered to himself, scratching the back of his head as his feet carried him into the Academy.

* * *

 **Yo! OP Here.**

 **Watch Demon Slayer.**

 **Anyway, that was Chapter 14 of DBSTEP, centered around the almost-protagonist and establishing his quest to BECOME A DAMN PROTAGONIST. But yeah, I feel like his aimlessnes suits the type of character in my opinion; you don't exactly see many of his type in situations like this, and I wanted to try and reflect upon that. Don't worry; after this next Dina-centric chapter I've got planned (may change as always, don't count on it though,) he'll have a damn fine time to shine and a new goal set in mind. (Hint: Zinco helps in said goal's conception.)**

 **But yeah. Not much else beside the fact that pun names are HARD AS HELL TO COME UP WITH (Shia Mei's took like 3 hours when I first started making the chapter, wanted to combine "Chow Mein" with "Xiāmáng", basically "Foolish Haste" in Mandarin, but that just kinda sounds... wonky, I dunno. Open to suggestions though, any time, 'cus I am still a mentally-broke ass bitch who needs harsh critique.) Toriyama must've had the patience and care of the Buddha to come up with this stuff in the 80s, what a guy.**

 **((Yo, Future OP here, It's Sháo now.)**

 **Hope you guys are having a decent last few days of summer, getting work done, _watching Demon Slayer,_ and just getting ready all around. Already in school? Wish you the best, and enjoy and/or make the most out of the first weekend of the year. As for me, schedule may change depending on Senior Year's woes, but I'll try to be resolute about it.**

 **That's about it. See ya.**

 _ **GOD EMPEROR NEZUKO DEMANDS SACRIFICE HEATHEN-**_


	15. A Strength Which Surpasses Bloodshed!

**Dodgeball Session from the Underworld! A Strength Which Surpasses Bloodshed!?**

Beep!

"Hrrm…"

Beep!

"Hrrrrrm…"

Beep!

 **Beep!**

 _ **BEEP!**_

 _ **"PISS OFF!"**_

Dina's hand aggressively slammed upon the frustratingly-durable alarm clock, followed by a weary and dragged out sigh muffled by a pillow.

Said muffled sigh gradually became muffled groaning.

Said muffled groaning became muffled screaming.

After far too many seconds of screeching, Dina got off her ass and into the process of starting the day. Brushing teeth, washing face, and grooming hair were scratched off her list first. She took a quick whiff of herself and briefly passed away, coming to in a fit of coughs and gags.

"Smell like a wet dog's corpse…"

Naturally, the shower was next. Dina tossed her t-shirt ("Cool" was sprawled over it, Peak of Fashion right there) from across the room, missed entirely, and kicked the floor in a huff, getting a certain shirt on her foot. Reaching to throw that, too, she suddenly paused upon getting a hold of it. Her annoyed expression began to melt away.

This was the YPD uniform. The hole on its side hadn't gone anywhere, either.

Memories began to race forward; her world, her friends, her father, what her best friend had done, and, with her still there and on the loose, how they were probably all-

"No. None of that, Dina."

She took a shaky breath and shook her head, pushing the thoughts further back. Picking up a lined polo with "Capsule Corp." printed on every side of it (gosh, wonder who made this?) undergarments, and some generic sweat pants, she headed to the bathroom.

…

"And of course, it's like a damned rubix cube… naturally, everything's a puzzle in this over-complex hellscape…."

"Maybe this one…"

"…"

"…"

"…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

* * *

Dina was a brighter shade of red than usual. Her seething rage didn't help. Nor did the fact that her planned head-start was now null and void due to shower complications. Now she was in a bit of a hurry.

Some pathetic-looking numbskull taking their sweet-time took a bit too long to get moving, and as such, they were hit by an oncoming Dina.

"WATCH IT, YOU SODDING CLUTZ!" she snarled as she damn-near ripped the door off its hinges and stormed inside.

"Still practically deserted, eh?" Dina noted to herself. "Guess that means this school doesn't persecute their students for rising with the sun… nice."

She reached the classroom, opened the door and almost ran back out.

Kora sat comfortably, several tall books by her side and reading some comic about some fat blue cat in a gi or something. The sudden drawn-out silence caught her attention.

"… You're late," she mocked, faint sign of a smug smile creeping above her comic.

"Not a race, you dork," Dina hissed. "Besides, there were complications."

Kora looked Dina up and down.

"Is that what you call being violently blasted with 500 degrees of water because you're a moron?"

"Oh, bravo, you little detective, you."

"I mean, I can't imagine how you'd expect to ever so-much-as lay a finger on me if you can barely beat a shower…

MUCH LESS MAKE ME 'RUE THE DAY.'"

Dina began shaking. She was already intimidated by Kora, no matter how much she tried to play it off with banter. Worst, she was trying to hold down the irresistible urge to throw a punch at her; not even particularly because she wanted that stupid smile to disappear.

"Just piss off, alright?" she muttered.

"That's right. Know your place."

Kora muttered.

Just loud enough for Dina to make out.

"MAKE THOSE HALF-ASSED INSULTS WHILE YOU CAN, YOU PEDANTIC, JUNGLE-HEADED TWIT!" she snarled, now suddenly atop the row above Kora and inches from her face. "EVERY MINUTE YOU'RE NOT ON A TREADMILL, EVERY SECOND YOU'RE NOT HAMMERING DOWN ON A SANDBAG, EVERY MOMENT YOU'RE NOT BREAKING A SWEAT, I'M ONLY GETTING STRONGER. AND WHEN I'M STRONG ENOUGH, FIRST ON MY TO-DO LIST IS OH-SO VIGOROUSLY WIPING THAT GOD FORSAKEN SMILE OFF YOUR STUPID FACE, YOU EXTRATERRESTRIAL SUPERSLAG!"

"Oh, please," Kora growled, slightly closing the gap, "It'd take me a minute to do what'd take you all afternoon with everything you had! Don't get ahead of yourself, punk, you'll never surpass me without that shitty little crutch of yours!"

The two were using every ounce of willpower they had to keep themselves from clobbering one another.

"IS THAT A FACT?"

"As a matter of fact, it is!"

"CHEEKY BROAD, YOU'LL GET WHAT'S COMING TO YOU!"

"Why wait? Why not crush me right now? You know you want to!"

"YOU KNOW DAMN-WELL WHY! WHAT, ARE YOU SCARED OF DECKING ME RIGHT NOW BEFORE I HAVE THE CHANCE TO 'CRUSH' YOU, TEACHER'S PET!"

"Maybe I just like watching clowns dance for me, you pipsqueak!"

The two were butting heads at this point, both sporting crazed grins.

"YOU…!"

"You…!"

"Yo!"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" they both yelled in unison before immediately dropping their respective tough-girl acts.

"Okay!"

"W-wait-I didn't mean to-"

"Hey, h-hold on I-"

Both sighed as the blonde boy continued his merry trip upward, unable to translate their awkward mumbles. Once the guilt and embarrassment settled, they each exchanged significantly-softer evil smirks.

"Take a long, hard look at my face from this angle," boldly declared Dina, rising to her feet above the desk row. "The next time we fight, I promise you'll be seeing dejá vu once I'm through with you."

"Good luck with that, small fry," Kora taunted, looking directly upward at Dina. "You can put yourself through Hell all you want, just know I've been there first. Do you have the resolve to take what I can, though?"

It was like staring down into an abyss.

Dina shivered, not hiding it in the slightest.

"Good Lord, you're terrifying…" she chuckled as she returned to the seat she'd chosen.

The thrill of a new rival – an insurmountable new foe changing one's perception of strength, a plucky challenger dedicating all their being to surpassing one – was revving the two up.

* * *

 **[BGM: J Dilla – Two Can Win (0:00 – 0:05)]**

An hour had passed.

Between the psychotic lesson about a method basically amounting to "Let Me Impale You with a Thousand Needles, Trust Me It'll Feel Great" and the unending feeling of emptiness within himself, Neoru felt he'd've been better off still laying outside. Whatever hope he had of this place giving him something to take his mind off things was leaving fast. Worse, he couldn't stop thinking about what Kaset told him. What if he was lost?

Besides survival… why was he doing this? What else was there?

Stupid thoughts he didn't get were pissing him off beyond belief. Everyone else seemed to have a sort of drive, why didn't he?

"Neoru?"

His eyes jolted to the side of his seat.

"Never told you my-when did-"

"What's wrong?" Zinco asked curiously.

"… Nothing, fuck off."

"Neoru?"

"What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Ya stupid or deaf? I said nothing."

He turned again.

"Neoru?"

"SHITTY BRAT, I SAID-"

Zinco's eyes no longer had a curious, oblivious wonder.

They looked sorrowful, almost pitiful. That pissed him off even more.

"What's wrong?" he said once more, tone becoming softer.

"The hell's your problem? 'Cus I ain't your problem. I said 'nothing,' so beat it already, jeez."

Zinco kept staring a hole through him.

.

.

"Fuck! Fine, you win! If I tell you, will you leave me be, ya damn leech?"

Zinco gave a toothy grin.

"I… I… I don't know…"

"Huh?"

 **[BGM: Emancipator – With Rainy Eyes** ]

Neo's fists balled. It seemed like the class, the desks, the room itself seemed to just fade away, leaving only him.

He thought back. How radical this change was. He should be overjoyed; he was out of his hellish era, no more need to do awful things or help awful people in order to live another day.

But that was all he knew. And now, his entire point of being was suddenly called into question. Not to mention how futile it all seemed now; he wouldn't be here if it wasn't.

His voice suddenly got caught in the back of his throat.

"Outta nowhere, I just… feel like something's missing. And I can't find it."

Silence.

"Did you look for it?"

"Sure."

"Really, really hard?"

"Don't think I can look any harder. Barely know what it is, as-is."

"Then… maybe you don't really need it?"

Neoru paused.

"Huh?"

"Y'know!" Zinco continued. "Sometimes, if you look really hard for something, and you can't find it no matter how much you try to find it, then it just means you didn't need it as much as you thought you did. And sometimes, you can just find something better to replace it with!"

After a few seconds of blinking…

"You… you don't even know what I'm talking about, damn it."

Zinco slumped a bit. "S-sorry, I'm trying really hard. I'm still not that smart…"

"The hell am I doing rattin' off my problems to a kid anyway…" Neo mumbled as he turned. "What's wrong with me today…"

"-cludes the history lesson for today!" Stroga announced as he finished. "With that, it's time for Physical Education!"

A myriad of sighs filled the room, mostly coming from the Saiyans.

"Now I'd like to ask that you all…"

The rumbling made him take a moment to reevaluate his phrasing.

"No, all of you should come down and leave in a neat and orderly fashio-I DEMAND THAT YOU ALL-"

His words fell on deaf ears as most of the class stampeded over the poor teacher.

 _Yes, the sighs earlier were those of relief! This period was many a rookie's favorite, the one where they could finally move and, more importantly, grow even stronger: P.E._

"This is what you were talking about, wasn't it, Ms. Ayeva?" Dina thought to herself, bounding out of her seat as a smirk grew.

"Therefore… I'd better get to it!"

Neoru got out of his seat.

"Sitting down, thinking those dumbass thoughts won't get anything done."

He slowly made his way down the stairs.

"Hell, anything's better than that!"

His pace quickened; he began running down in a controlled fall. Upon the last dozen steps, he made a jump.

* * *

 **[BGM: Dragon Ball Z – Track M1525]**

Neoru almost fell flat on his behind.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID I GET MYSELF INTO?" he internally screamed as balls whizzed past him at mach speeds.

"There are 3 rules to this exercise!"

Neoru bobbed and weaved at inhuman angles, his honed instincts and agility operating as his single saving grace. Any of those balls could end up knocking off something important.

"FOCUS, YOU DUMBASS! FOCUS OR YOU'RE GONNA BE PAINTIN' THIS HELLHOLE!"

"1. No man left behind! You'd have to be one spineless piece of shit to leave your comrade on the battlefield!"

"IWANNAGOHOMEIWANNAGOHOMEIWANNAGOHOMEIWANNAGOHOME!" Dina screeched to herself as she scurried across the arena, the floors littered with broken bodies, dodgeballs, and miscellaneous fluids.

"2. You keep fighting, you keep walking, you keep throwing until you drop to the floor in a puddle of your own putrid filth!"

Dina's arm was suddenly struck by a ball, knocking her off her feet.

"You…!" she growled as she picked herself back up. All she could see in that moment was Kora's stupid smug face.

"GO TO HELL, AND TAKE YA SHITE BALL WITH YOU, TWATHOLE!" she roared as she chucked the ball harder than she should've been capable of at the innocent Musai who just wanted to have fun, chipping his carapace considerably.

"3? You helpless suck-ups need me to explain every detail? ALL OUT, FULL POWER, FROM THE MOMENT THE BLAREHORN SOUNDS OFF!"

She cringed hard once she calmed down. "HOLY HELL-You can walk that off, right?" Dina nervously asked before 3 of his angry teammates popped up around her.

"… Now, I know this looks rather suspect, but funny story, wouldn't you know…"

At the mention of their friend's predicament being a "funny story," both the Saiyan and the Namekian grew even larger scowls.

"… I found him like this."

Dina got bonked.

"Aw, man, I'm on a role!" A human said to himself in excitement before a ball hit the back of his head, bouncing off harmlessly.

He turned to see Neoru, his hand still outstretched in a finished throwing motion.

"Fffffffffuck."

"Hey, you shouldn't say things like that!"

"I doubt anyone gives a shit but you, pal."

"I'M WARNING YOU! QUIT BEING SO PROFANE! RIGHT NOW!"

The two squared off for an annoyingly long period.

"…!"

.

.

"… can you, like, fuck off or somethi-"

Neoru got bonked.

While our familiars were getting their asses handed to them, two others began to draw eyes.

 _ **[BGM: Hunter X Hunter – Test Your Luck]**_

"I can… barely keep pace…" a red shirt puffed. A ball in the distance came closer and closer.

"So this is it… dang it, I had so much I wanted done… who'll water my plants now?"

"Oh yeah… I forgot to water my plants today…"

"ETERNAL DRAGON SAVE ME PLEASE-"

Before the ball could make contact, it suddenly snagged upward before returning to sender's deltoid, sending said sender into a screeching mess. The red shirt's saver elegantly landed before his eyes.

"You need focus," current Red MVP, Shào Mei, coldly stated.

"S-SO COOL! PLANTKIND THANKS YOU!" Red shouted in glee before racing out the door, garnering a small smile from Mei.

"Can't you have my back?" a Saiyan on her team jokingly asked from the back. "Sherru's a keeper for sure, don't get me wrong, but…"

"IF YOU WANT DEATH, HOU GUI DOG, KEEP DUMB MOUTH OPEN!"

"… My name's Kobu, but… point taken…"

Kaza shook as a multitude of opposing players set their sights on her; a decent Majin was invaluable in a game like this, after all. Barely able to move herself out of sheer terror, she braced as the balls took flight.

And went spiraling off-course due to a single ball's well-thrown interference.

"Oh! Nice to meet you again, Kaza!" said the culprit behind the stupendous anti-air toss. Kaza's face lit up.

"ZINCO!" she suddenly bursted out of her terrified trance, tackle-hugging Zinco and knocking him to the floor.

"Tha…thank you, but I still need to focus on something right now!" Zinco wheezed out from constricted lungs.

Kaza zipped off, allowing Zinco to sit up in a coughing fit.

"Sorry! Is there anything I can do to help you!?" she stammered out, surprising herself with the sudden proposal.

"No thank you! I wanna do this alone!"

"But I can help!"

"I know, but-"

"I CAN! WATCH!" she said desperately as she threw up her hands and strained herself, slowing more mid-air dodge balls to a crawl and shocking Zinco.

"Awesome…" he muttered before erupting in giddy laughter.

"You… think it's awesome?" Kaza exclaimed, getting a response consisting of frantic nodding.

"Mmh-hm! Mmh-hm! How long can you do that?"

"I'm not sure, but I…" Kaza paused, wanting to avoid any implication that she could be an annoyance in any way.

"I-AS LONG AS I NEED TO!"

"Really! Great!"

"But… what are you going to do?"

The blonde's expression ever-so slightly hardened.

"Games stop being fun when people get hurt. So I made a different game!" said Zinco before dashing off, snagging two spheres in each hand and one with his tail.

"When I knock a ball down, pull it into the air! Please!"

"Got it!"

Mei continued to incapacitate most combatants (especially tailed combatants) like a one-woman army, allowing her team to take pot-shots from the back while Blue Team's throws failed to so much as graze her. Suppressing fire seemed to begin dropping off ever so slowly, much to her indifference; it was when fire on both ends began to stop altogether that she started asking questions.

"Huh?"

"What the…?"

"Where'd my balls go?"

"HHHHHHHHH-"

"Oh my- get fucked!"

"Wait… the ceiling…!"

Ceiling wasn't a word she was familiar with, but the sudden skyward heads spurred a reaction. She looked up to find a sea of silvery-red spheres.

"It was that stupid kid!"

"D'ya even know what side yer on, doofus!?"

"What a nuisance! And the day was all but won!"

Zinco somewhat anxiously waved at the glaring eyes nestled upon him, too far to notice Kaza's wincing.

"Y-yo…"

Mei stood in confusion. When she saw Zinco's twitching tail, however, a sadistic smirk grew on her face.

"You. Boy."

"Mmh-Hmm! How'd you tell?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Zinco's expression changed upon seeing who'd rightfully accused him of being a boy.

"Oh. You're the one from yesterday." He tensed. Her knowledge of pressure points – the hundreds which lay dormant within anything holding ki – was unreal.

Mei nodded. She pointed to the ball in her hand.

"The last ball. You need it, no?"

"Mh. Please drop it."

"Take it. You are 'Saiyan,' no? Your people can take well. So take."

"I don't like taking things. I'd like if you could drop it. Please."

She grinned.

"Catch." The ball shot towards Zinco, who promptly took aim. He leapt into the air and knocked it away with his own ball.

It fell to the ground and, as balls bound to gravity tend to do, returned to Mei's open palm.

"…!"

 _ **[BGM: Baki 2018 OST – Osu, Karate Way!]**_

Zinco gasped, frantically flipping to his side and narrowly avoiding Mei's unnatural, borderline-haunted ball as it circled the room. Mei flicked her forearm, twitching her middle and index fingers as the ball continued to hunt Zinco. Instead of running, however, Zinco positioned himself in a small circle of motion. Every dodge was not a moment too soon; pushing himself to move as absurdly fast as possible only when the ball was but a hair away from contact. All the while, Kaza's twitching grew into gritting. Her concentration was waning due to an array of factors, one of which, intense worry. As Zinco kept pushing himself, however, she kept pushing herself.

"I wouldn't wanna let go of a ball like this, either! But I promise I'll give it back once the game ends, I promise!"

"Shut up and stay still!"

"I am still!"

"Shut up!"

The ball flew behind the gi'd Golden Boy, who evaded it limbo-style in the nick of time. THIS time, as it zipped past, he noticed that the ball was darker than last time. No… it looked like every other ball now, meaning it was only brighter every other time for some-

And the ball suddenly glinted, brightening once more and violently pulling toward his face. His train of thought cut like a thread, Zinco raised his own clutched ball, using it batter the other away. He checked it, only to find wire-like cuts all over the used side.

Thread…

He began to put things together. The way Mei erratically moved her hands and arm, and the way the ball obeyed… it was almost like a Yo-Yo. And the way the ball glinted, like it was covered in translucent gold strands…

The ball came around again. Zinco mustered what little brainpower he had within him for his next high-IQ maneuver; he took a deep breath and ran full-speed toward the ball, screaming all the way.

"…eh?"

Milliseconds before the ball made contact, he sidestepped it, raised his forearm like an axe, and brought his hand down upon the space behind it. The imprint of a slender line slowly burned into his hand's side, setting his nerves ablaze. Still, Zinco maintained his attack, fighting through the pain.

"I'LL DEFINITELY… END THIS…"

He let out one last resounding roar –

 **"OOOOOOOOSU!"**

– and cut through the thread of energy with his own applied ki.

Mei stood in absolute disbelief. Kaza nearly dropped the ball(s) in excitement. The untethered dodgeball harmlessly bounced along the floor, stopped by a Martial Artist-Issue boot.

"Okaaay," Zinco stated to himself before kicking up and waving the ball in triumph. To his surprise, a few patrollers gave him applause.

"I don't… This hasn't happened before, but… shit, kid, I don't know what else to call this but victory," the instructor sighed. "Team Puss-Peace, Team Peace takes this one home, I guess."

"Yes!" Zinco turned to congratulate his single comrade. "Thank yo-"

Kaza proceeded to unleash a hailstorm comprised of very hard dodgeballs falling from a very tall height, before falling to the floor and clutching her head. Amongst the imminent panic, Zinco rushed to her stead.

"What's wrong?"

"Forgive me…" she muttered, tears coming down her face. "I tried my best, but… I've never held something that heavy… I'm sorry, I really am…"

"Why? You did great!"

"I did?"

"Ah-huh!" he nodded amongst the screaming.

Kaza smiled a bit.

"Then I'm not useless?"

"No Way! I couldn't've done this as good as I did without you! Now no one can get hurt!"

* * *

"OH GODS, HE ISN'T WAKING UP!"

"IS ANYONE A DOCTOR? PLEASE, I NEED A DOCTOR!"

"I JUST WANTED TO DODGE SOME BALLS AND GO HOME!"

"I feel perfectly fine, what's got all of you in a huff?"

"OH FUCK, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HEAD?"

"What are you talking about? Never seen a bowl cut before or what-have-you?"

"Oh, that's what the dent on your head's about. Sorry for the misunderstanding, I'm gonna keep running now."

"… Oh, right. The ball hit me. Oooooow-"

* * *

 **[BGM: J Dilla – Thought U Wuz Nice]**

"… but I think we can both get better…" Zinco sadly whispered.

"i'm a monster…"

* * *

To call Conton's Medical Team top-notch would be a severe understatement.

In any case, once more due to their diligent efforts (There have been much more violent Conton Dodgeball sessions in the past) no one died. Kaza and Zinco pitched in as well, with Kaza learning more about what exactly she was capable of.

"I don't know how that happened, I just wanted her to start feeling better!"

"SO COOL!"

"In any case, that means this is officially your job as of now. Have fun cleaning this up, champ, I'm hitting the PQs."

"You step one foot out of this fucking gym, Chio, I'm adding a casualty."

"YOU NEVER LET ME DO ANYTHING!"

Kaza also found a new job.

In any case, two of the few who the balls spared in the prior bouncy apocalypse weren't exactly in the best of spirits.

"Hey, yellow squirrel-lookin' motherfucker."

Zinco kept attempting to tie his belt.

"(Okay, I'll give you that.) HEY, uh… Ringo?"

Zinco almost had it that time, but the belt slipped after a few seconds.

"No no no, I've got it this time, uh… Ziiiiinnn…co?"

Zinco finally fixed his belt in a tight loop.

"Yo!"

"(Seriously, that was it? Hey, whatever, I still got it.) What was that redirection crap you were doin' during that fiasco back there?"

Before Zinco could ask what Neoru meant…

"You definitely could've knocked that red-hair chick clean out, left herself wide open and everything. You just went and made shit harder for yourself, what gives?"

"I didn't want to. There was a way to make sure no one got hurt, so I took it!"

"Aw yeah, that worked out great."

Zinco let out a nervous chuckle, sarcasm lost on him. "Not really. That didn't go how I wanted." He took a deep breath. "I'll just have to get stronger!"

Neo cocked his head. "Huh?"

"Mmh-Hmm! I'm gonna get so stronger that I can't hurt anyone!"

"Yeah, that's nice." Seemed like everyone had that goal in mind: getting stronger. He'd tried that, and he still failed to obtain enough to make a…

.

.

"What?"

"I wanna be so strong-"

"Uh-huh, uh-huh-"

"-That I can't hurt anyone!"

"So you know how that sounds, you KNOW how that sounds," Neoru stressed. "You know what that means, right? 'Getting stronger?' "

Zinco nodded. "It's pushing past yourself to get somewhere higher!"

Neoru was prepared to callously retort. Instead, he started paying attention.

"And that's what I wanna do. I wanna push past violence!"

"…And you think that's possible?"

"Yes! And if not, I'm gonna make it possible. I've gotta make myself as strong and smart as I can if I want to, too!"

Holy shit. This kid was either brain dead or on to something. And from what he'd seen him do, maybe…

Still.

"Nice dream, but I doubt it's gonna go far, kid," said Zinco's senior by a whopping 2 years. "I'm pretty educated on how people work, myself. Some are just pieces of shit by default. Going about not killing anyone is one thing, but there's gonna be a fly sooner-or-later that's gotta get AT LEAST harmed. If not to save your own skin, then someone else's."

"I don't believe you. Everyone has a bit of good, no matter what they do! I just need to know how to bring it out!"

Neoru sighed. "I sure-as-hell haven't seen that yet. But maybe you're right. Maybe I was just too weak."

"Probably."

"What the fuck did you jus… ah, you're right. I'm never strong enough."

Zinco began to jet out the door. Before the door to the locker room closed...

"But we can both get stronger! I know it!"

That drive. That greater reason to go on.

Neo wanted some of that.

On the other side of town, Dina was throwing an inner hissyfit.

"stupidjerksganginguponaninnocentlittlegirllikethathopethelotgetwhat'scomingtothembunchofshitheadshowamisupposedtogetstrongerificanteventhrowtheblastedballwhatabsoluterubbish-"

"Mother of Kami, what's gotten into that guy?"

"That's easily above 500 tons, how's he…!"

"hey I've been waiting for my turn on that thing for like 2 hours and you've been here for 5 can you like fuck off or something"

A crowd was gathering around the training facility too self-important to just call itself a gym. Naturally, Dina wanted to know what the fuss was about.

Navigating the crowd, she managed to find the source of the commotion.

 **[BGM: 14? Ft. Substantial – When the Luster Fades Instrumental]**

What looked like a Saiyan was currently lifting a sizable barbell.

With his teeth.

"That kid's possessed!"

"He's hot, to boot!"

"look no one cares you're just slobbering over the shite weight just let me get my turn bastard"

His body was covered in blood and sweat. His yellow eyes were dilating in a berserk-like trance, and his beyond-scarred tufted tail shook violently as it rose along with him.

Dina was flabbergasted to the point where she could only ask a single question.

"Who… is that?"

* * *

 **Du-Du-Du-Duuu~ Daaa-Daaa-Daaa~**

 **Yo! OP here!**

 **Demon Slayer's pretty great, but have you ever tried Trigun?**

 **Yeah, that's a gem I concluded a good few weeks back. Vash is one of the GOATs of anime protagonists in my eyes. Y'know, the blonde, green-eyed tall man who's descended from a species separate from humans, who's also a goofy and lighthearted pacifist by nature and secretly radically strong and has a name starting with one of the 5 last letters of the alphabet followed by a vowel and I SWEAR I MADE ZINCO BEFORE I KNEW ABOUT VASH.**

 **Seriously, while I'm serious about the Zinco thing, he's definitely helped with planning out his character; Zinc was gonna be a Gon parallel until Trigun convinced me to make him stand out a bit. "So strong that I can't hurt anyone" won it in my eyes.**

 **Enough on that, let's talk about the reason I've been so slow on updating. School honestly isn't even that big a reason, all it's done is convince me to take notes on ideas before they can sputter away. No, the real reason is character moments and such. To make a long story short, I wanted to make sure they were something decent and fit to the characters, not being too jarring and what-not. Take a swig every time I say character. You'll die.**

 **But, uh, yeah. I think that's all there is. Voshyo's chilling in the Shadow Realm for a minute until the tournament gets announced and both characters are stable in terms of motives and training, Kora was doing... things... during the dodgeball sesh, Mr. Longsword is holding his city down, and _I_ am gonna go grab a Hershey bar. Next chapter will be the story of How Neoru Got his Groove Back, ft. Not Vash and Weezy F Ominous Ninja Anime Girl #744947393.**

 **That's about it. See ya.**


	16. The Ballad Of Two Budding Warriors!

**Hearts Lit Ablaze! The Ballad of 2 Budding Warriors!**

"Who… is that?" asked Dina, face struck in awe as the blood-streaked boy cast the barbell from between his teeth with a strained flick of his neck.

The fellow watching the spectacle beside her shrugged. "The freakshow just waltzed his day in, made himself at home and started tearing himself apart. All I know is that he's been occupying this space foR HOURS NOW!" he shouted toward the feral beast. He returned the gesture with a frenzied death glare.

"You sure talk a lot, eh you Saiyan piece of shit?" he growled between a razor-sharp grin, intensely panting and arms hanging lifeless beside him. "Would you keep singing if I choked you to death with that tail of yours?"

From the looks of it, if not for that buzzing collar around his neck, he would've hopped to it instead of making a threat.

"I'm shaking." If only looks could kill.

The odd, self-species-loathing Saiyan grimaced, limped over to an even heavier weight, bit down on the handle, gave his all, and promptly dropped to the floor. For a moment, his rage-driven expression melted, a look of exhaustion peering through; before anything could come of the fatigue, his eyes began to widen in a fit of berserk. He bit down harder and, in a state of pure fury and will, shot to his feet and raised the firmly-bitten barbell.

He promptly dropped to the floor. Again.

The spectating fellow's tail loosely hung in embarrassment as he buried his face into his palm. "Heart of a lion, head of a lemming. Swear, not a species in the multiverse more bone-headed than my own. Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to be from Yarg, would yo-"

Dina was no longer beside him.

She was no longer amongst the crowd, either.

"Oi! Yoo-hoo! Screwy Saiyan-Person? Not dead yet, are you?" she chirped to the crowd's subtle panic, whistling and snapping in beyond-dangerous proximity.

He heard "Saiyan" and instantly shifted from struggling-to-stay-conscious to what-the-fuck-did-you-just-fucking-say-about-me. Frankly, the only notable difference Dina noticed was that his eyes were much wider now.

"That's one wild work ethic you've got there, friend."

Upon not seeing a tail from behind her rear, he scoffed.

"Got a name, Bloody Gary?"

"Set me by the door."

"Ooh-Lah-Lah~ quite the extravagant name there, mate. Don't mind if I just call you 'Setme' for short, do you?"

"I can't patch myself up if I don't eat. Just put me by the fucking door.

"Sorry, but me dad taught me not to do odd stuff with strangers. That's to say, nameless Johnny Doe's with enough canines to turn a boogeyman green with envy. Unless you DO have a name." Dina coyly tapped her chin with a finger. "Now THAT would change things…"

The boy growled.

Dina continued to grin.

The growling turned into a small chuckle as his frown curled into a smirk.

"Kazikum. That's what I remember."

"Kazikum? Huuah~! Wait, I know you! Come on then, old pal, let's get you to that door!"

With that, Dina took hold of Kazikum's shoulders and gave him a tug. She suddenly found herself attempting to pick up a mountain. No amount of grunting, repositioned tugs, and under-breath swearing helped either.

"Weak bitch, put your back into it."

"…!"

Judging by how fast he hit the door, that did the trick.

"Hmph! Disrespectful twit! Bad enough my clothes look like some 3rd Year's art project now after helping your broken rump! I mean… wow… this is an awful lot of…"

Before any thoughts could come to mind, Kazikum's chuckles filled the air once more. She rolled her eyes.

"Good to see you've still got a sense of humor."

"Don't get me wrong; nothing you say is funny. I'm just thinkin' of what's happening once this shitty collar's off."

"Oh, do go on."

"ONCE THIS IS GONE… I'M GONNA RIP YOU APART. LIMB FROM LIMB."

"Threaten me with a good time, why don't you?"

* * *

Kazikum was not threatening Dina with a good time.

The numerous slabs of roasted meat he was casually eviscerating could attest.

Dina gulped. If she could compare the ghastly sight to anything, it'd be a starving velociraptor at a daycare. With every gulp, his wounds vanished; he'd already regained use of his arms after the first chomp. It was unbelievably grotesque, sure – watching bones re-snap into place, tendons mend together, and skin retaking wiggling flesh was something straight out of a rewinding body-horror flick – yet she found herself unable to look away.

"Myer nom meeded amymore. Muck off," Kazikum mumbled between chews.

"Why?" Dina thought aloud, oblivious to what'd just been said. Kazikum swallowed.

"You're annoying, pathetic, and you smell weird."

"Wha-NO YOU DOLT! AND WHADDO YOU MEAN I-sodding train of thought… I mean… why are you putting yourself through such a thing?"

Not a second passed.

"Power."

The sudden assertion in his voice startled her a bit.

"Power…?"

"There's a certain someone I… meed'da ma'e 'uffer."

With that, he finished his meal and made a B-line for the workhouse.

"Wait, you're going back ALREADY?"

"It's been 5 minutes."

"IT'S BEEN 5 MINUTES, YES. Not nearly enough downtime has passed for anyone to go about tearing themselves apart again, much less to the degree YOU are!"

Kazikum heaved. "You know for a bitch, you sure bitch a lot. Worry about yourself."

Dina puffed her cheeks. "Excuse me for showing a hint of concern, jerk!"

He brushed her off and maintained course.

"Kaa-Zi-Kuum… A bizarre bloke, that one is. All that to get stronger?"

But before Dina could finish that thought, another cut her off.

 _"Put yourself through Hell all you want, just know I've been there first. Do you have the resolve to take what I can?"_

She'd sworn she'd make that bitch RUE the day. Problem was, said bitch had put herself through Hell first, if she were to be believed, and her strength didn't lie.

So simply put, she needed a bigger Hell; nothing like an athlete's regiment was gonna cut it. And she needed a resolve to match.

"OH GODS HE'S GOING FOR THE 700! SOMEONE STOP HIM!"

"GET OFF ME! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

Something exactly like that.

Her fist shook.

"Nuts. He's nuts. He's an absolute madman."

"…"

She stormed off to look for Ayeva, practically her temporary chaperone.

"And I'm CLEARLY NOT NUTS ENOUGH."

Both her fists began shaking, fear and a newfound blazing within her fighting for control; and the fire was winning.

"I want power, too, dammit."

She grinned.

"THEREFORE."

After a spell of searching, inquiries, and telling nosy elites that it was none of their damn business why she wasn't in school, she tracked down her target outside the ER.

"-29285929309962757Tw-"

"Oi! Ms. Ayeva!"

Ayeva's head snapped toward Dina.

"HUH?"

* * *

That day, Dina set out to discover what she was truly made of.

Unbeknownst to her, a certain vagabond acquired the will to find out himself, only a few hours later.

Nerou gazed into the sky, the sun's glow dimming into the purple gradient of a void.

"Nice…" he whispered to himself as he smiled. He and his brother used to climb to the highest point available stare off into sunfalls like that. Yeah, that'd kill the edge. Something pretty and a dose of nostalgia.

He made his day toward the nearest height.

Zinco had about the same idea, as he scampered up the plateau's side like he'd done it a thousand times before. For about half his life, he'd been deprived of such sights – smog tends to do that – and he liked to soak them up whoever available.

"Kaay~" he grunted as he threw himself onto the surface. A bizarre number of items were placed up top: a cot, neatly-folded clothing, books in complex letters each containing at least a dozen strokes, supplies for the Academy, and empty wooden bowls.

There was also a drawing of a man in ink, surrounded by incense, a plate of food, and a tall note propping it upward.

He found a vacant area, plopped down criss-cross, cusped his hands together, took a lingering breath, and meditated.

Instead of nothingness, however, he meditated on his past mistakes. A method he picked up from his childhood master, helped him improve and reflect. For example...

* * *

If he hadn't let her take on that burden, or maybe if he'd just told her to move those balls instead of holding them up, less people would've been hurt.

Maybe if he'd been just a bit smarter, he could've said something to help cheer him up.

If he'd just stayed in the mountains, he wouldn't've caused such a panic in that metal jungle and made them all so angry.

If he'd just punched a little softer…

No, if he'd just denied a spar in the first place…

She wouldn't've…

* * *

His eyes began feeling funny. Zinco took another lingering breath, and jumped upward. He moved on to the next exercise: shadow boxing.

He made it a point to picture the most dangerous adversary possible, and then to battle them without a single aggressive attack on his part for as long as his body would allow. Just like that, a cherry-headed girl donning a thin, pitch-black-and-indigo shozoku lunged from the darkness.

A gentle flick of his forearm sent the vision's lunging strike off-course, and his positioning enabled him to knock back several more blows aimed at points that would've surely put him out of commission if irritated. Her shadow bounced back before clapping its hands together, revealing a glinting cat's cradle which proceeded to extend into whip-like extensions. From there, he played a life-and-death variation of limbo and hopscotch, Zinco steadily closing the gap.

One split-second jump later, he landed behind the spectre and directly near the cliff. Right on que, it spun around and lunged at Zinco, the latter preparing to meet the attack.

And then an intense pain slammed into his side.

"Gah…!"

The blonde fell to the ground in a heap, his concentration broken instantly. He felt like he'd been shot, yet the wound didn't bleed. He slowly staggered to his feet - only able to reach a kneel - to identify the one behind the assault.

Resentful hazel eyes set upon the boy.

"All they do is take…"

Zinco frantically looked back; the materials he'd spotted before were sprawled out in a mess, including the illustration and things around it.

"Shoot… I forgot!?"

Shào Mei approached, one trance-like step at a time. "That is all they have ever done…"

Rage and bloodlust practically poured from her, and Zinco was receiving the full brunt of it.

"What more will you take, Hou Gui? What more will you take from me?" she hissed. Now that she was closer, he could see how welled her eyes were. She was on the verge of tears.

"I will make you suffer for this."

Zinco began to rise. Despite the immense pain he found himself in, he managed to refoot himself. His head hanged low, obscuring his expression.

Suddenly, he dropped to the ground.

"I'M SORRY!" he shouted with conviction.

* * *

"The hell?" Neo muttered.

* * *

Mei stopped in her tracks.

"I'M SORRY! I WANTED TO SEE THE SKY CLOSER BECAUSE IT WAS PRETTY, BUT THEN I WANTED TO TRAIN, SO I STARTED FIGHTING MYSELF AND THEN I RUINED EVERYTHING AND I'M SORRY! BUT I'LL MAKE SURE TO CLEAN THIS ALL UP MYSELF, SO YOU WON'T BE SAD ANYMORE!"

"… Coward."

Zinco began to realize that he'd only made things worse.

"You think 'sorry' makes good? To ME, to the EMPRESS, to my MASTER, my FRIENDS, the INNOCENT? All your people do is take. Now, you take my stay."

Her speared hand glinted all over. It hovered over Zinco's head.

"You pay with head, like all scum should."

Like the blade of an executioner, she brought down her hand and-

But of course, like most moments I build to, this comes to a screeching halt.

So you know what? Screw it.

Just play his shit.

 _ **[BGM: Sengoku BASARA The Last Party OST - BLAZE_Final_Version (0:00 – 1:28)]**_

A jagged whirlwind interrupted Sháo Mei's private execution and deflected her blow forcing her away from Zinco. It slowed and stopped in front of the two.

After a brief fit of stumbling, there stood Neoru.

"Didn't know we were killin' kids now."

Mei quickly regained her bearings. "This is no 'kid,' this is Saiyan. Do you know what it can do? What it has done?"

Neoru looked over the aforementioned "it."

"Are you fuckin' retarded? Guy would have a stroke if he so-much-as fell on an anthill." Zinco proceeded to jump a good meter into the air.

"See?"

Mei snapped her head to the side. "It matters not what it wants or feels now. All that matters is what it can do! You have no idea what evils its people have done. It deserves to-"

Mei clutched her throat again.

"ALL deserve death for what they've done."

Neoru heard her out, did a think and let a dry chuckle escape.

"I get it. So, a few 'Saiyans' roll through your world, do a couple unspeakables to you and friends, 'n all of a sudden every last one you see is guilty."

He slowly unsheathed his sword from his backpack.

"If that's all it takes for a whole damn species to get the death penalty… then playin' by your rules, I've got one hell of a right to kill you right about now."

The air around both began to superheat.

Each ignited into an aura.

"You would give life for a monster?"

"He's a kid, you bastard. I still ain't that comfortable with dying just yet, but I'm not just gonna let some psycho do whatever they damn-well please!"

"Then you choose death. I WILL kill all Saiyans, and you will not stop me."

Neo chuckled uneasily. "High hopes for someone who can't even reach the top shelf."

 **[BGM: Tekken 5 OST - Moonlit Wilderness]**

" _Niúbī!_ " Mei shouted before vanishing, going for the throat with a sudden spear-handed lunge forth. In the brief millisecond-long time frame, he leapt back with enough force to set up a counter, the two traveling through the air at an equal velocity.

A reverse roundhouse to his neck removed any prospect of an offensive response, however, as once more he was forced into evasion. With a cartwheel matching the angle of the kick, the scruffy swordsman found himself on the tail end of a vicious assault; like suddenly being met with a flurry of poison-coated arrows. Sidestepping and deflecting with his sword what he could, he soon entered Mei's circle. The two engaged each other in a flurry of movement, both becoming desperate to find some type of read on their opponent, some chink in one's defense or a brief slip in motion. Skill and experience clashed violently, Neoru's erratic pivots foiling Mei's lightning-fast juts aimed at any and every weaker area around him she could find, Mei's nigh-hypnotic controlled dances foiling any spontaneous attack Neo threw her way. This wasn't a Saiyan; this was only a squishy, feeble human, just as she was.

One attack, even one landed hit would probably end Neo, and he knew that well. Mei seemed to be getting faster, too, like she was learning more about him as the fight dragged on. Even worse…

"Damn it…! Why'm I even trying against this bitch? I still can't even touch her, and she could'a killed me just like that yesterday! If that were a real fight, I'd already be dead!"

He caught about a quarter of a second's quarter and gained distance to breath. 2 sharp breaths before the scarlet-haired shinobi brought him back into the fray by force.

"Do you really fight for the Saiyan, boy? Or is it for you?"

"FUCK UP!" he retorted, dodging a bullet kick with a flip onto his back and unleashing a tornado of kicks before jumping forth and giving a brief machine gun's worth of punches.

"Faster…" Mei noted, a small smirk taking form as the battle continued.

"If she beat me, fair-and-fucking square, then WHY DO I STILL GIVE A RAT'S ASS?" he demanded himself as he punched faster.

He began to remember that face she made as he slipped into unconsciousness that day. Staring at him like he wasn't worth anything.

"…DAMN IT!" he roared. His void-like purple eyes intensified as he began to move not only faster, but more predictably.

"I see now…" his opponent cooed as she landed a knife's-edge straight kick into his centremass. His aggressive forward movements worked to her advantage as Mei's foot dug into him, paralyzing him as he fell to the ground like a rock.

"I train to kill monsters," she dryly stated as she turned her back. "Not boys."

* * *

"Why?"

"Why do I even bother? Always ends the same."

"This IS Hell. And I'm just reminding myself 'a how fucking worthless I am."

Getting clocked instantly in that damn game.

His first defeat by Mei.

Trunks manhandling him like he was a child.

"I SAID GO!"

Pushing himself as far as possible, unlocking power that let him own the skies and level a building with one hand. Only to find out the monster that took away just about everyone he cared about could care less.

The only half-decent thing he'd ever done was throw his stubborn better off that cliff, and take that god-awful pain himself. Hell, that was probably useless, too.

"Yeah, that's right. It's just natural. The strongest guys stay strong. The weak get eaten. That's just life. Now I've gotta live that out 'till the end of time."

He chuckled a bit. "Can't say I don't deserve it." A tear went down his face.

"I hate this so much."

* * *

"How did he…!" Mei gasped as she turned to find Neoru chuckling to himself, knee on the ground. He'd gotten up without knowing.

"I hate this so much."

"Tch…! Fine with me." She lunged forward. "I make certain you stay down for good!"

"No!" Zinco flung himself forward, leaving the pain behind and appearing before Neo, to his shock.

"You stupid brat… get back…!" he shouted behind frozen lips.

As if the situation couldn't get any worse; because he was too weak, someone else – someone with something to go on for, no matter how stupid – was gonna stick their necks out for him and die.

 **[BGM: Sengoku BASARA The Last Party OST - BLAZE_Final_Version (2:00)]**

Again.

And again.

And again.

And AGAIN.

"For fuck's sake."

A light began to form within his eyes.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH PEOPLE LIKE YOU."

He felt something unbearable – that annoying, shitty force within him, that always told him to keep surviving for FUCK'D IF HE KNEW – welling and surging from within.

"Just let me die on my own already..."

To hell with it. To hell with Hell. To hell with This.

"YOU FUCKING

 ** _[MORO~N!_ " _]_**

He burst forth, battering both Mei and Zinco with a violent kick to each.

His scream became a roar, as his soul ignited, surrounded him, and took on a feathered serpent's form as his eyes became overtaken with light.

A massive, violet inferno of energy erupted from the plateau, attracting the attention of any and all residents of Conton City.

Like an explosion, it was gone as quickly as it came. The blonde was absolutely out of it, as was the redhead. As for the brunette at the center of it all…

"Stronger."

He was literally smoking, burning up from the inside-out.

"I wanna... Stronger…"

He fell over, eyes – ever-gleaming – still wide-open and mouth agape.

"I can't take this anymore… I just wanna be stronger… than this…"

* * *

It would be a cold day in HFIL before Neo would receive a self-induced good night's sleep. And Conton City maintains a comfy room temperature.

Regardless, he awoke from his home in the ER to find that he couldn't move a muscle.

He also felt a fever coming on. Weird, considering how strong he felt all a sudden.

"So the hell was that and where has it been my whole life?"

If he could hold his head, he would.

"Screw it. Yeah, take that, Hell. Teach you ta mess with me."

He giggled a bit.

"Okay… first thing once I get outta here."

"I'm gonna get strong enough to have my own back. Then I'll find whatever I'm looking for…"

He smiled. Almost like a child's.

"Yeah. That'll be nice…"

 **[ED: 14? Ft. Substantial – When the Luster Fades]**

* * *

 **Yo! OP here.**

 **3 weeks. Mh. Mh-mh.**

 **Stuff's been happening, nothing that'll excuse the wait in my eyes, but yeah. In all that time, though, I've been working on this specific chapter for a bit. It's QUIIITE important, considering I'm finally setting into gear Neoru and Dina's motivations for training, as well as the introduction of "Edgelord Maximus" Kazikum (I went with Capiscum as his pun. Yes, I am proud.), more of Shau "I Swear The Broken English Isn't Me Being Insensitive" Mei (can't wait to actually flesh out and make her likeable, not like she hasn't got major reasons but still) and Zinco, and most importantly...**

 **Neoru's transformation, and the connection it's got with his will/heart and soul.**

 **He isn't Mei, and he ain't an alien. Basically, this state I'm giving him has been in conception since after his, think a bit more than 2 years or so. It's big enough to be fleshed out as the story goes on, and Neo's gonna become WAY too stubborn to start leaning on it in order to win fights, so no worries about it turning into a get-outta-jail-free card for EVERY losing scenario. On the occasions it _does_ appear, It'll leave behind a bit of its power, due to it being Neoru unlocking more and more of himself. I'll leave it at this; his roots and self-loathing plays a hefty part, and this ain't no sealed beast (suck it, Luffy Kurosaki); this is Neoru. Just a more... _l_ part of Neoru.**

 **I've been watching Sengoku Basara. Expect this to get a lot more hot-blooded in the future.**

 **But yeah, now that the squad have their motivations laid out (Voshyo never needed one outside of his timeline, honestly,) I can have a bit more freedom with the story. Next up: details about Neo and Di's regiments/mentors in order to set things in stone for sure** **, a small gag-short poking fun at some of DBSTEP's minor mistakes, and even a small Trunks Gaiden showing how he's been holding Conton City down.**

 **Until then, be safe, do what you gotta, and have some fun while you do it. Fight on!**

 **That's about it. See ya.**

 **oh yeah I almost changed neoru's name to nerou wouldn't that've been crazy-**


	17. Prologue! Excitement in Conton!

**Prologue! Excitement in Conton!**

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…mrrRRRH-"

The small, twitchy-tailed woman in armor jumped from her seat in a huff.

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

Her droopy-eyed male counterpart sighed woefully.

"Yeah…"

"IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE SOMETHING'S GONE 'BOOM!' I'VE FOUGHT THE SAME VILLAINS TIME AFTER TIME, PARALLELS ARE SO STUPID! IF I SEE THAT STUPID ALBINO LIZARDFACE ONE MORE TIME I'LL EXPLODE! I'M SO DAMN BORED!"

"Yeah…"

"W-what are you insinuating?" the plump pink fellow previously digging into a chocolate mount beside the two sputtered. "We've worked so hard to keep things peaceful, and now that it's played off, you want things to go 'BOOM?' And why aren't YOU saying anything about this, Sunato?" he scolded, turning attention from the hot-blooded woman to the crestfallen man.

"Don't make me feel bad for wanting a little action, bro…"

"But you SHOULD feel bad! The both of you should be ashamed!"

The Saiyan's tail tucked between her legs.

"When you put it like that…"

The Majin huffed. "I should feel ashamed for sympathizing even a little…"

The three heard footsteps, turned to their left, and immediately fell into a formation.

"SIR!"

"SIR!"

"SIR!"

"At ease, oddballs. Just taking a walk."

The black-coated swordsman gave the three a warm smile.

"You've all known me long enough to call me by my name, after all."

The female Saiyan readjusted her greeting, tripping on her words in a fluster.

"Y-YES, TRUNKS!"

 **[BGM: Sengoku BASARA OST - A Retainer's Dream Projected in Water]**

So long, yet he still failed to understand it.

Seemed everywhere he walked, he saw the same thing; for every five smiles, a sullen neutral, for every 2 bouts of laughter, a longing sigh of boredom.

Speaking of sighs, a frustrated one of his own escaped from him.

"What's so wrong with peace?" he asked to no one, lounging into his chair back within his office.

Saiyan blood ran through his veins. But not once in his life had he ever known that "burning" which his father, or any Saiyan for that matter, seemed to cherish in the heat of the fight. Hell, even some full-blooded humans knew it better than he ever did.

"What's got you down?" a shrill female voice sounded from within a hallway lined with glowing scrolls.

"Oh-"

He paused. Trunks had picked up a bad habit of thinking aloud.

"It's nothing."

.

"…No, I lied. There's this issue I've got concerning the Time Patrol."

"An ACTUAL issue?"

"Come on… we've talked about this. Mortals depend on emotion to work, too."

A barely-audible huff escaped the hall.

"Explain."

"It's morale. I've never seen it so low. It's due to how quiet things have been in recent times; less action, less missions, less… thrill, I guess."

"Morale… less of that means less diligence, right?"

"You're still so cold!"

"Yeah, yeah. So what's stumping you?"

"…"

 _"It's been so long since something's gone 'BOOM!'"_

"I understand the importance of getting stronger, but fighting for the sake of fighting… just never been my forte. Apparently, half the force doesn't share that vision. Some of them are just itching for action, action I KNOW they'll regret asking for when it comes full-swing and starts taking what they value. But… I dunno, it just seems so… bleak around here, now."

In the dark hall, a scroll atop one of the highest shelves fell unprovoked, pulled forth by an invisible outside force.

"I swear, every time I think I have you people figured out…"

A scene danced along the scroll's unfolded page:

"Thank you all for your patience! We will now begin the 21st '#1 Below The Heavens' Martial Arts Gathering!"

Warriors of all shapes and sizes passionately battled each other. Not over world-shaking ambitions or destruction of all that was good. Some fought for the sake of a greater cause. Some fought purely for money.

But there were fighters – including the palm-tree-headed monkey boy and star player in time's grand scheme – who fought for the sake of their arts. To test them against the world over, and give their mind, body, and spirit in a battle with someone with a similar goal.

A fight.

The voice in the hall hatched an idea.

"Trunks. How are time patrollers graduated from the Academy?"

"Huh? Standard exam testing historic and barebones-academic knowledge, followed by a final combat initiation test held by me."

"Hah?" the voice shouted with an ever-present sass. "No wonder everyone's bored out of their minds, having to fight someone as sour as you! Who came up with such a bland system in the first plaaaaa…ce…"

.

.

.

"a-"

"I suggest a tournament."

Trunks raised a brow.

"As a 'Final Exam.' That's what you call them, right?"

"well-"

"Of course I'm right, that was a test. Speaking of tests, this new-and-improved system will give your veterans their action fix, while making the rookies show us what they're really made of against one another in a red-hot battle to the finish!"

"Since when were you ever this pugnaci-"

The glowing scroll was suddenly thrusted skyward.

"SINCE FOREVER! All I needed was a reminder of what a fight looked like, and not the same struggle I find myself checking time-after-time! Maybe you could use the same. What do you think?"

.

.

.

"EXACTLY! Now, this tournament calls for a name…"

* * *

 **[BGM: Sengoku BASARA OST: Edge of a §word_Final_Version (1:25)]**

"ATTENTION, ALL PROUD WARRIORS!"

"The hell? How's he doin' that?"

"ARE YOU NEW TO CONTON CITY?"

"Hmm? Wha's this about?"

"ITCHING TO PROVE YOURSELF WORTHY OF THE TITLE 'TIME PATROLLER' UNDER THE EYES OF VETERANS AND FELLOW ROOKIES ALIKE?"

"Not really! I just took a bath! I'm clean now, I promi-"

"WELL, GOOD NEWS! YOUR MOANS OF BOREDOM HAVE BEEN HEARD LOUD-AND-CLEAR!"

"Oh… oh no…"

"STARTING TODAY, YOUR TIME IN THE ACADEMY HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF 365 EARTH DAYS! BUT DON'T FRET… TRUST ME, YOU'LL NEED EVERY SECOND!"

"Errth? 'itty bastard can' ven… speak right!"

"FOR COME THE END OF YOUR TERM, A WHITE-HOT BATTLE OF WIT, DETERMINATION, SKILL, AND POWER AWAITS YOU!"

"Ba…tttle…"

"IN ONE YEAR'S TIME, BEGINS THE FIRST-EVER TOURNAMENT OF ITS KIND…"

"Just spill it, grape-head! Suspense is killing me!"

"THE WORTHY OF HEAVEN'S EYE MARTIAL ARTS EXAM!"

"..."

.

.

"… Tournament."

The last time Trunks had _felt_ such raw joy and excitement erupting from so many people at once, his timeline had previously addressed an infestation involving A pair of rambunctious cyborgs. The walls of the Time Nest rumbled – it resided in a separate dimension at all times – with the collective enthusiasm of thousands upon thousands of hyper warriors, whose cries for help had finally been answered.

Friends and rivals alike were quite literally dancing in the streets. Enemies consoled each other as tears of joy poured from glinting eyes. It was rather absurd.

As for Trunks…

"Good grief. Still, looks like your idea was a smash hi-"

"EXACTLY! Who else knows mortals better than a god, after all?"

"maybe someone who's actually held a conversation with more than 5 on a good day-"

"WHAT'S THAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OUTSIDE MY 'THROTTLE RELENTLESSLY' RANGE, TRUNKS!"

He gave a nervous chuckle.

"I said no one but you…"

 _"Supreme Kai of Time."_

* * *

"Tournament, huh?"

A tail swayed impatiently as a palm-tree-headed man in a red robe hung from the top of a giant crimson pole.

"I'm already gettin' antsy!"

* * *

 **Yo! OP here!**

 **Yee, I decided on this being the first occurrence of this exam idea. Help make it a bit more special, or something.**

 **This takes place about 2 days after the oncoming chapter(s?) involving Neo and Dina's training, as well as being the prelude to this new arc: The WoHE MAE-T saga! (Kinda sounds like WOAH, HE MIGHTY if you say it in a certain way, nice.) Before the actual tournament, this arc'll focus on fleshing out characters whom I plan to be relevant in said exam; motivations, personal troubles, growth, etc. etc.**

 **As you probably noticed, I tweaked SKoT's personality. Reason being, I wanted to have fun with her character. As for why I'm keeping her in the dark, I don't want a proper introduction until the gang go on their first real mission, hype her up a fair amount as the GOD OF TIME and shizz. She's a god who knows that she's a god, and, while a LOT better with mortals than she used to be (story takes place about 7-12 years after Conton's con(s)t(ructi)on), her moral compass still holds time's safety over anything else. Rightfully so? Probably.**

 **But uh, yeah. Wanted to get this one out in a jiffy, make up for the 3-week absence. Hoping you're all doing well and hopping for the best. Not a typo, I'm physically doing jumping jacks in order to ensure you guys's futures are great.**

 **p.s. Notice how I used nothing but SB tracks in this chapter. There's a reason for that. They're good. SB is good. Watch it. Listen to it. Yes.**

 **That's about it. See ya.**


	18. Ayeva, Kaset, Don't You Dare Show Mercy!

_**[OP: King and Ashley]**_

 **Art of Mentorship! Kaset, Ayeva, Don't You Dare Show Mercy!**

"29285929309962757Tw-"

"Oi! Ms. Ayeva!"

"…!"

Dina raised a brow at Ayeva's unusually-panicked response. The rattling-off of sequences didn't help her case, either.

"Al…right, I guess I'll start off with the numbers."

"It's nothing to worry about. I just like to recite pi when I'm bored."

"Pi, you say?" Dina playfully scratched her chin. "Y'know, where I come from, that's a rather effective way of relieving stress."

"Interesting."

"Mh-Hmm, quite! Though, for the life of me, I could never get behind the practice. Blasted number cost me a letter grade back in Junior High, after all. All it takes is a glance at that first three-point-one and all of a sudden, I'm fuming!"

"I see. Not easy for most to remember after about the 20th integer, after all."

"TWENTIETH? MATE, I THREW IN THE TOWEL AFTER I LEARNED THERE WERE MORE THAN FOUR!"

Ayeva began to hatch a smile.

"Regardless… You always partake in hobbies like these outside hospital?"

Ayeva began to retract a smile.

"I took a seat. That's all."

"I've never quite seen someone sweat such a gorgeous shade of lapis before."

"…"

"… I'd like to know who you're waiting for."

"… A hopeless, reckless moron."

"Kaset bloke?"

"… Kaset bloke."

"Chin up, love. Seems like a tough-enough gent to take about anything."

"He's only human. When almost all of a human's abdominal vitals are spontaneously hit with enough blunt force to level a star, chances of a full recovery-"

Dina grabbed her borderline-nanny's shoulder.

"Anything."

Ayeva's eyes quivered. She spat a wobbling breath outward.

"Yes. Yes, you're right. You're definitely right. 100%."

Dina shined a reassuring grin.

"Still."

Her eyes suddenly slanted, a determined grimace overtaking her face.

"While I'm all for giving such a cherished friend some cheer in a time of need, that's not why I found you."

"And?"

"If anyone knows this, it's a nerd like you. Or tech guru like you – forgive me if I've gotten a tad too comfortable."

"Just give me the request."

"Weight Tuners. Got any around here?"

Ayeva squinted her eyes.

"Aw crud-See, it's this… room, I guess you'd call it, that amplifies gravitational pull within a certain radius, makes objects weigh more and such."

"'Weight Tuners.' That's a new one."

"What?"

Ayeva rebuttoned her indigo jacket and set back her raven, symmetrical pixie-cut hair.

"Follow me."

With that, the Semi-Demi-Sorta-Saiyan trailed her cybernetic caretaker.

"Side note," said Ayeva, "but when did you get so good at deduction?"

"Oh, that? Please, I'm quite mediocre as far as detective standards. Maybe... _you're just a terrible liar?"_

"WHAT-YOU-"

"Hn-hnnnn…"

"Huh… Touché."

"Yyyus!"

Time passed, space passed, and Ayeva eventually stopped at a metallic door. After a few… thousand… taps at a dizzying speed, each side of the door slammed backward.

"YIP-"

As did Dina, in response to the bang.

 _ **[BGM: Megalo Box OST – Drive]**_

Inside, a giant metallic-blue cocoon awaited the pair. Square chutes of ambiguous purpose lined the walls and brick-red floor in a row pattern. A grid-like device somewhat protruded from the ceiling, its LED flare casting hard shadows over any-and-everything capable of producing one.

"Here," Ayeva bluntly announced. Dina wasn't listening, too captivated by the new surrounding she'd found herself within. Mouth agape, eyes wide, she looked like a kid in a candy shop.

"To think… we were just barely touching the surface…"

"Judging by that expression, I'd wager this is a bit different from a 'Weight Tuner?' "

Dina turned and frantically nodded.

"Dark, grey rooms. Mostly used for experimentation with inanimates and training for upper-echelon special forces, but my dad and the neighborhood pitched in and had one rigged up just for me. Not to say MINE didn't look superb, because it did, but… this is Caelum Civitatis levels of lavish!"

"I'll ask more later. In any case… in Conton City, we're big on simplification, ironically enough. It's a room that multiplies gravity. Therefore, it's a Gravity Room."

"Neat…"

"I personally prefer the name 'Gravity Chamber' but that hardly matters-because you can't hear me anymore because you're over there now. Great."

Like the aforementioned kid in the aforementioned candy shop, Dina had already begun to wonder around the room.

It was when she came dangerously close to the center console that Ayeva stepped in again.

"And THAT-" she hastily stated before blocking Dina's grubby little paws from the big red button, "leads me to my next question."

"just wanted to see what it felt like, jeez"

"I need to know how high you've gone before we begin."

Just like that, a pouty frown became a prideful grin.

"The average human stops at around 5 times Earth's gravity, but many a man has pushed themselves further through sheer hard work and determination. However…"

Cue a dramatic heel turn, inward point, raised chin, and… wind from who-knows-where…

"My world's record currently sits at a staggering 1000% of Earth's gravity! And that record holder… IS NONE OTHER THAN I, DINA SPAUK!"

"Noted."

"… eh?"

"Hmm?" Ayeva looked up. "I said 'noted.' That's all."

"You don't… sound impressed. At all."

"Should I be?"

Dina's eyes grew about 2 sizes.

"S…Should you not?"

"In any case, x10 is above-average for most Earthlings. If I want to reach a decent estimate of your work level, though, I'll need to test you. Can you handle an instantaneous 10G shift?"

"Mh!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yuh-huh!"

"Not a single doubt? Absolutely certain? No regrets whatsoe-"

"Quit with the blasted padding, please!"

Ayeva gave one last lingering, dead-eyed stare at Dina before leaving behind a glossy, glass-like wall.

"3…."

"Times-10 wasn't even enough to raise a brow… damn it!"

"2…"

"Which means Kora's probably far ahead of that, too… damn it!"

"1…"

"It took me months just to get to 10, how could I possibly… NO. NONE OF THAT. NO MATTER WHAT, I'LL MAKE THE TRIP. I'LL SHOW THAT STUPID TWIT FOR MOCKING ME! DEFINITELY!"

"Mark."

"I'LL DO IT! I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO-"

For a brief moment, Dina's face literally bounced off the floor.

 _ **[BGM: Yu Yu Hakusho OST – Yurusenee!]**_

"PISS!" Dina coughed out at the top of her de-winded lungs, struggling to push herself back up as her eyes gradually made their way back to the front of her skull.

"I'VE DONE THIS BE…FORRE! WHY'S IT… SO HARD?"

The red-eyed teenager put everything she had into both of her arms, each of which becoming sorer by the second.

"Grr…"

One foot underneath her shoulder.

"GNRRRRGH…!"

Another foot outstretched in full, supporting her as she knee'd herself upward against enough pressure to instantly liquefy a soda can.

"RAAAAAH!"

She finally shot herself upright. Stray blobs harassed her peripherals while gasped for any tidbit of air that wasn't being a massive prick at the moment by ignoring her.

"H…How's Tha'?" Dina wheezed.

"Subpar."

"SHU' UP! NO ONE AS'ED FO' YOU'O'INYIN!"

"I'm getting the feeling you're too stressed to think clearly."

 _"OH, IS 'AT RIGHT, ACE DETECTIVE? OH, NO, I'M ABSOLUTELY PEACHY AFTER YOU JUST LOBBED THE ENTIRETY OF MT. FUCKING PAOZU ATOP MY HEAD!"_

Is what she wanted to say.

"NYOH!" She said, dignity definitely intact.

The G-Matter around her began to dissipate, and her body – attitude not included – began to lighten up.

Dina fell to the floor in a coughing fit.

"No risk of dying, judging from vital signs, but still. I'd say x8 suits you for now."

"I… I'm done with x8."

"Well, you said you could handle 10x gravity, too, and look how well you handled it."

"Instant… whatever. I was built up to it during the pressure test."

Dina had only ever done said test once, and never touched it again after nabbing the record.

"Kora. D'you know how she did on this?"

Ayeva tapped the air, brought up a screen, and presumably looked her up.

"I've never had her use mine, personally, but in regards to the public gravity room… she passed with flying colors."

Dina could've sworn the gravity had raised again.

"Nothing to raise doubt, either, considering she's one of the few Planet Plant-native Saiyans qualified to end up here."

The half breed lay there, hardly able to process this information.

Then her fists balled.

"10."

"Huh? 10?"

Gears began turning.

"No."

"10!"

"No. Breaking yourself isn't the way to get stronger."

"I'm too far behind! I can't let her stay ahead of me! I WON'T!"

Ayeva wanted to say more.

But the way those crimson eyes bore into her…

Dina needed this. Far more than she logically should've wanted it. And despite the constant whining, those eyes held resolve.

She plucked the plucky hybrid off the ground and to her feet, then punched some coordinates into her wristband.

"…Fine. Rest up, then find me after your time at the Academy's up. That means when you're RELEASED. Stroga's sensitive about skippers, and no spotee of mine will offend a friend," Ayeva sternly stated, getting a nervous chuckle out of Dina as she timidly fidgeted.

"Y-yeah, no problem. And Ms. Ayeva…"

Ayeva turned to meet Dina's glistening eyes.

"You didn't have to do any of this. But you did. Thank You."

"I'm aware." She blushed as she instantly made her exit.

As she flew through a gate between timespace…

"One day, I find her a slobbering mess, clearly traumatized and confused out of her wits, and within the next two, she's hot-blooded and ready to take on the world."

She held her temple.

"Why…?"

* * *

"Right. So."

Dina looked around.

"Where am I and how do I get out."

Ayeva suddenly reappeared.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry…" she muttered as she placed a hand on Dina's shoulder, exiting again.

* * *

That very same day, around what constituted as dusk in Conton City, Dina awoke to a tremendous surge of energy.

The morning after, the source of the sudden surge opened his eyes.

He gave himself a reason to fight: resolving to forge a path to his own purpose.

A shame, then, that he found himself unable to move.

"Come ooooONNNNN…." He mentally growled, attempting, once more, to pry his head from the pillow it kept gravitating toward.

This marked his 245th try. Grunts clearly audible.

Audible enough to catch a certain copatient's attention.

"Neoru?"

Could he talk…?

"Wazzup?"

Yeah. Croak, more like, but not so bad he couldn't make out what he'd just said.

"You're awake!"

"Sure hope I am."

"That means I can say sorries, now!"

"Wait, wha-"

Zinco cleared his throat.

"I wanted to say sorry. If I were more careful… I wouldn't've needed to get anyone hurt."

Neo sucked his teeth. "What're you, stupid? I'm the one who kicked your ass in the ribs. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me."

"Oh-you're right!"

.

.

"I said I 'should' not that I was gonna."

"That's mean!"

"Whatever, you don't even sound that banged up."

"I was bracing."

"Uh huh."

.

.

.

"-can't fuckin' sTAY HERE-"

Neoru proceeded to violently rock himself in a desperate attempt to abandon the same hospital bed he'd found himself in twice now.

Surprisingly, no avail. The youth's enraged grunts quickly devolved into defeated, pathetic whining.

"Finally snag something concrete and what happens? I wake up, a damn vegetable!"

"… A-"

"SHUT UP! HOW'D I EVEN LAND IN THIS HELLHOLE WITH YOU ANYWAY?"

"Oh? I carried you both here! That means I would've seen it if you started turning into a vegetable, I swear!"

Neoru was given a harsh reminder that mental strangling was a skill outside his expertise. For now.

"Hihihih… your face looks silly!"

"ckyoufuckyoufuckyouFUCKYOU-Wait. Run that back."

"H-"

"Gotta act like a dictionary around you-You said 'both?' Tell me that's what I heard."

"That is what you heard."

"OK, so I'm not batshit just yet. Damn it… she finds me like this, and I don't wanna think about how she'll end my ass."

In his paranoid scope-out, Neo looked directly above his head. In place of a blood-red headed cuckoo lady, he found…

"The hell's that doohickey doin' up there?"

A doohickey. Apparently. Said doohickey was in the process of washing magenta waves over Neoru, each oval starting small and corporeal before expanding and losing visibility as they fell onto him.

"Doohickey?"

"Done talkin' to you, just… I dunno, eat through your pillow or some shit."

 ** _[BGM: Gramatik - Chillaxin' by the Sea]_**

Zinco did something stupid again, how funny. Anyway, Neoru began watching the machine's waves wash over him, almost in a trance.

Was odd. Blazing-orange rays of the sun contrasted with the sky's dark-blue morning tint, shining through Neo's sickbay as the violet, translucent waves wobbled and wiggled slowly, falling like leaves. Was the pretty scenery what was making him feel so at peace?

Zinco didn't seem to have one over him, at least not from the corner of his eye, he didn't. Made some weird noises but… eh, who cared.

Peace. It was his gold at that point in his life.

He could stay here if it meant keeping this moment in time.

"Like the rig?"

Neo's eyes suddenly widened.

"THAT'S-"

Kaset leaned on one of the pillars lined along the far-end of Neoru's bed, the patient shirt he donned splotched with a reddish-brown stain over where his abdomen.

"Wow, you look like shi-"

"Get this, it's like 6:30 In the morning and y'all both down here acting like wild animals, so I came by to knock you out and go back to sleep," he calmly stated, lazily clinging onto his patched-up right side. Neoru and Zinco collectively shat themselves.

"I-I'm already a bed-ridden mess, c'mon. Can't save it until I'm on two legs again?" Neo sputtered in a last-ditch effort to save his own skin.

Kaset snickered at the two's expense. "I'm kidding. Jeez, lighten up, kid!"

"Think threats like that are funny you sick bastard?"

"… hold on, I was just… damn kid, I didn't mean it like…"

Neoru's persistent scowl forced a topic change.

"SO! How you holdin' up?"

"Feel like I'm floating. Is that the cloud doohickey above me?"

"Has that effect on subjects. See, that's a C.C. SRU." The older time patroller in a patient's gown pointed to the machine. "That's Soul Restoration Unit. Capsule Corp. Issue. Real bad things happened to good people in the past, so we had a certain contact whip those up for special spiritual cases. Cases that never strayed too far from one-another until… now."

"Okay…?"

"Medics are callin' it 'Spiritual Combustion.'"

"…"

"Your soul. Basically, from what medheads are saying, your soul exploded."

.

.

"My fucking soul exploded?"

"Woulda died soon after, if we didn't have those handy-dandy SRUs laying around. From what I could hear, it was like your soul was tryna claw its way out, and your body couldn't take it.

The recovering time patroller took a look at the resting rookie's expanding eyes and chuckled.

"Yeah, that look right there. Same one I saw one'a those medics give the one who said that. How's it feel being a special case after your first, what, 3 days?"

"3 days-yeah I think I feel like a guy who just found out his soul is a time bomb that can go off at any moment it damn-well pleases." Neo sighed. "Sucks. Finally pieced together a goal, too."

"There's a reason you said that out-loud, isn't there?"

"Depends. How strong are you?"

Kaset scratched his forehead.

"I'm no Goku, but I've been through enough to tell you I ain't no bitch, either."

"So, strong? Good. Train me."

"Sure."

"Nice."

"…"

"…"

"Alrightly then, I'm 'bout to get whatever bits of sleep I can get. You two do me a favor, do the same and shut up." With that, the 5 o' clock shadow-donning patroller hobbled back to his own sickbay.

Hey, HEY, I SAID YOU HOBBLED-

"You know the kid beside you's eatin' his entire pillow, right?"

Neoru glared.

"what"

"Alright, bye."

With that, the 5 o' clock shadow-donning patroller hobbled back to his own sickbay. For real this time.

Along the way…

"…"

"…"

"what THE FUCK DID I JUST AGREE TO?"

Kaset proceeded to have a mini-panic attack.

* * *

Saturday noons.

When those who aren't destroying themselves with intense exercise are relaxing, spending time with friends, pigging out, engaging in fun little hobbies, and avoiding responsibilities.

Let's just say Kaset and I had something in common this particular Saturday noon.

"No sign of her over heeere…"

The aforementioned human patroller, now clad in a stylish striped bomber, peeked to his right.

"No sign of her over theeeere…"

He checked over his shoulder.

"He should still be recovering. Still…"

As he cautiously strolled out the infirmary, an ugly cloud of guilt began creeping over him.

"Still… the way he said that…"

" _Train me."_

 _"I finally pieced together a goal, too."_

He shook his head. "Sorry, kid. Don't have it in me to put you through how I was trained. Barely a clue on how to teach, either."

Kaset took a lingering sigh. His hand began rummaging through his giant pockets until locating its prey: a pack of cigs.

"It's for the best, though, right? I'd just be lettin' you down at best and killin' you with nothing to show for it at worst."

He bit down on a cigarette a tad harder than needed.

"Need a light?"

The butt of his stick ignited.

"Appreciate it. Don't think I really needed it, but hey. You're a lifesaver."

Kaset took a puff, savored the feeling of the edge falling off his shoulders, reopened his eyes, saw Ayeva's glowing blue retinas, and promptly felt his cig leave his mouth.

"…Oh."

 _ **[BGM: DBZ Kai OST: Scampering Battle]**_

Every particle of smoke within his lungs rushed out in a hurry, evicted with a loving fist to the gut.

"Stupid. What's wrong with you. Moron. Why are you still so reckless. How many times do you need to be taught this lesson. Where has recklessness gotten you. Idiot. Smoking is bad for humans. I'd know. I've researched the data. I've told you this. Why don't you listen to me more. This wouldn't've happened if you'd just listen to me more. Dummy."

Kaset's frantic stream of "I GET IT"s fell on deaf ears as his cohort battered the formerly hospitalized man, rotating between kicking him while he was down and throttling the life out of him. Eyes were drawn and immediately sent running off.

"Now I feel bad. Look at what you made me do. Jerk."

The uncharacteristically-violent calculations expert finally let up on her assault. Her field-active colleague struggled to his feet.

"PhEEW. Was fearing for my life for a second. You sure you didn't get stronger or…"

Ayeva gave him one more attack.

"Why are you like this." She muttered, fist on his chest.

"I can't stand you."

"…I keep telling you, right?" Kaset replied, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Just the way I fight. Stop losing sleep over someone like me, already."

Her fist clenched.

"Plus, you're cuter when you smile."

"Shut up."

"So anyway," Kaset changed the subject, "I'm out the sickbay, it's an early Saturday, let's catch a movie. You, me, Stroga taking a breather and watchin' something stupid because we can. You down?"

"Can't."

"SHIT, seriously? Work's got you locked down that hard?"

"I'm never 'locked down,' my occupation's fun. It's productive and safe, too. You should consider it."

"If you say so…" His snarky remark was punished to the full extent of the elbow.

"Besides, that's not why I'll be unavailable." Hurried footsteps approached the pair as Ayeva spoke.

"There's someone who needs my gravity room for… a while."

"So you kinda got a pupil?"

"I'm a coach, more like. I regulate them, ensure they never go further than their limit too soon, while simultaneously ensuring efficient growth on their end."

"And when they're struggling, you're screaming words of encouragement through the glass?" Kaset teased, just barely able to contain laughter at the thought.

"Shut up." Ayeva blushed a deep blue hue.

"Yeah, if you're out here giving private couching lessons, there's a kid who could use someone like you."

"?"

"Yeah, he asked me to train him back in the infirmary. The one behind the Brood Plateau Explosion? I… may or may not have-"

"You did."

"I **DID** tell him 'sure.' Only because he said that so suddenly, though. Just straight to it, had no time to react."

Ayeva's head ever-so-slightly tilted in confusion. "This is the task too daunting for you? You?"

It was Kaset's turn to blush. "Come on. This is a whole 'nother thing. I've never taught someone before. I don't know all the answers to getting strong."

"Yet still," Ayeva retorted, "You're experienced, you're powerful, therefore you're bound to know something. As long as you keep from passing along your suicidal fighting style, a disciple of yours could walk away with something great."

She smiled. "I believe in you, stupid."

"… Alright."

"M~raaaw~! Had no idea you were such a sweetheart, Ms. Ayeva!"

 _ **[BGM: Dragon Ball Z Kai OST: Theme of Videl]**_

The pair left afterimages and landed a solid 3 meters from ground zero.

"D-Dina! How long have you been there?"

"Around the part where you called yourself my 'coach,' coach!" She replied, chipper as ever.

"'Brood Plateau' you called it? Very informative name by the way, know everythin' I need to about the place from title alone. Anyway, you mean to tell me whatever was behind that was just a kid? Blimey, I've got to hop back to the gravity room pronto if that's the case!"

"Does she always talk this much?"

"No."

The inflection in her voice told him all he needed to know.

"And then there's YOU, mister!" Dina hissed, rapidly approaching Kaset.

"Woah there, best slow your roll real qui-"

"LISTEN 'ERE, YEAH?" she shouted, accusatory index finger invading Kaset's personal space.

"WHATEVER STUPID LIL' STUNT YOU PULLED YESTERDAY REALLY DID A NUMBER ON-"

"W-w-wait just a second, Dina-"

"MS. AYEVA'S MENTAL HEALTH! SHE RECITED ABOUT A GOOD HALF OF PI WORRIED SICK OVER YOU!"

Ayeva became a blueberry.

"SOMEONE OUGHT SLUG YOU FOR PUTTING SO MUCH STRESS ON A WOMAN, BUT BECAUSE SHE'S HAPPY, I'LL LET YOU OFF WITH A WARNING! COUNT YOUR LUCKY STARS, PARTNER, BECAUSE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS, I WON'T BE SO FORGIVING!" the half-breed concluded, arms folded and dramatically flicking her hair.

"Uh Huh."

"Hmph! Feign indifference all you'd like, _**sir**_ , you can expect a good-morning beating if this ever happens again!"

"I'm fine, Dina. Really, I'm fine."

"Hey, Kaset!"

Neoru approached from behind the of them, suspiciously far away from the infirmary - maybe he flanked everyone for... reasons...- but ready and able all the same.

Kaset took one last glance at Ayeva, who smiled and gave a nod. He took a deep inhale.

"Yo, uh, student."

"Alright, so how're we doing this?"

"Well, we'll see if you can take what I could when I was around your age, and if it works out, awesome."

"Got it."

Before the two could head off…

"Wait, N… Neeehooruuu?"

Neo turned and faced Dina.

"Were you the one who caused that explosion last evening?"

"Apparently," he replied, shrugging his shoulders haphazardly. "Could do it at any damn minute as far as I know. Why?"

Dina shook her head.

"Just… something to think about. One more thing."

Neo was getting impatient.

"You feeling alright?"

"Bout as well as a dead man walking can."

"No, that's not what I meant?"

"What?"

"You sounded like you were in a dark place yesterday, is all."

The boy sucked his teeth.

"Jeez, you're nosy," he growled before running off after Kaset.

"BUT HEY, I SURE AS HELL AIN'T LOST ANYMORE!"

Dina did a growl of her own.

"Jerk could've just led with that! Why is a solid 90% of this place comprised of such absolute wankers?"

"Eh. It's pointless to worry about mentalities you're not involved with." Ayeva took hold of Dina's shoulder.

"Well, are you ready?"

"Definitely," she smirked. "I've got places to go and people to beat, after all."

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain: Weight Of My Pride]**_

And so began the two rookies' respective trials.

* * *

"This is it: Stagnant Timespace #048."

"Big name for what looks like just a giant forest."

"Yeah, well, we'll be focusin' on a LOT more than just PUNCHING harder. You ready for this?"

"Either I am or I'm dead. If I ain't one, I better be the other."

* * *

"Four hundred and… ninety…. NINE…"

"500!"

"Excellent."

"10!"

"…"

"I… I'm ready! On my father's… On my life, I swear!"

"…Fine. Let's go."

* * *

In but a day, the Worthy of Heaven's Eye Martial Arts Exam Tournament… what a name… would be announced.

How strong could these two – and their opposition – grow In a year's span?

Only time will tell.

* * *

 **What is that? Like 5 line cuts now?**

 **Anyways, Yo! OP here!**

 **Feel like 3 weeks might be the new sweet spot. If I can I'll update bi-weekly but for big boi chapter's like this, tri or (hope I never get THIS bad but) quad-weekly updates could stick. Who knows? I sure as hell don't.**

 **Regardless, that's every main character's training set in stone. Dina in the gravity room to surpass Kora and prove something to herself, Neoru with Kaset in a "stagnant timespace" (Just places where time doesn't go forward, Made for such kinds of training) to give himself that bit of self-dependence he'll need to find what he wants to strive for, and Voshyo is...**

 **Who is Voshyo again?**

 **Nah but seriously, he's doing stuff in PQs or whatever. Ceruzius will do stuff with him, too. Best believe, HIS character's gonna start making moves once we're out of this tournament.**

 **Tryna cram all my thoughts for the week into one summary, jeeeeez...**

 **Basically, this chapter means that I'm free to explore different characters outside the main 2. It'll be fun to work with, and I'll still check in on Neo and Dina every once in a while in order to catch some growth - physical, mental, emotional - with both they and their mentors. In the meantime, short lil' blankfillers and fun stuff in the future.**

 **Hope you guys are hanging in there, and thanks for deciding to stick around and see where this goes. Critique is, like, mandate for helping me grow, and stuff, but you just reading this will inspire me to self-improve and keep pushing forward all the same. You do you, do what's best, and make sure you're never bringing yourself down.**

 **Is that it?**

 **Think so.**

 **See ya.**


	19. Kora's Dilemma!

Trunks took a seat.

Mei sat adjacent.

The still-young sunlight crawled through the slits of the office's blinds, casting shadows upon both and revealing the black-coated leader's cross expression.

"I'll make this as quick as possible."

Mei stared off.

"There are 3 ways this little skirmish of yours could've gone down, and all evidence points to you."

Mei stared off.

"This is the first and last time I'll ask."

Mei stared off.

"Did. You. Start. It?"

.

.

Mei nodded.

Trunks sighed. "Let me make this clear: there is nothing you could do short of destroying history itself, that'd make me want to send you back. You, and every patroller here, has SOMETHING within them which warrants becoming a force for good. "

"I would be a pawn?"

"No. Of course not."

Trunks's expression shifted.

"Still. You aren't a pawn, but you aren't free enough to do and kill as you DAMN-WELL PLEASE. Whatever grudge you have, it doesn't justify murder!"

Mei grit her teeth, before returning to a dead expression.

"What will become of me?"

Almost on-cue, the outside sunlight was muffled by a stray cloud.

"That's the problem. My higher-up doesn't quite share my point of view; they're the 'if broken, return to sender' type. That means I… may not be able to stop them from doing exactly that; send you back, I mean."

Fear consumed Mei's deadpan expression.

"I'M NOT READY!"

"I know. But I'm losing control of the situation, it seems. See, my higher-up values Saiyan power and potential. Knowing there's someone in Conton with a hatred for them – and the drive and means to take a few out – may or may not sway their decision to 'expel' you."

"BUT THEY ARE MONSTERS!"

Trunks shrugged. "Say what you will about them. Doesn't change anything."

The scarlet-haired shinobi found herself in a corner: submit to beasts, or be sent to death.

Fortunately, Neoru just-so happened to be passing along.

"Found you," He said nonchalantly.

"(I definitely locked that-NO, NO, plan won't work if I show weakness!) We're discussing something right now, sir. I'll need to ask you to-"

"Yeah, yeah, it's about that."

* * *

 _"OK…" Neoru yawned and stretched a bit. He proceeded to bolt out the building."_

 _"Wai-WAIT, NEORU!" Zinco suddenly yelled from his bedside._

 _"Eh?" Neoru stepped backward. "Looks like you're done chewing polyester, dumbass. What's up?"_

 _"The scary girl with the long red hair got taken out of here a while ago! Please check if she's OK!"_

 _"Where to?"_

 _"I KNEW YOU'D DO IT!"_

 _"Yeah, turns out I'm just a reeeal sore loser. Now where to?"_

 _"I'm not… sure…"_

 _"Fuck's sake, kid, at LEAST gimme a general direction."_

 _Zinco pointed right with his tongue._

 _"That, I can work with. Try not to choke on air while I'm gone."_

 _"OK!"_

 _"You're not leavin' until I beat you myself, you crazy bitch…" he mentally swore as he covered the city._

* * *

"That moron was tryin'a break up a fight, she didn't start a thing!" Neoru proclaimed before boldly pointing toward himself. "I'm the one who started it!"

Trunks's half-shut eyes of doubt weren't swayed just yet. "Sure… what motive could you possibly have?"

"Don't fuckin' talk to me like I'm some sorta chicken! I don't like yellow, so I followed Zinco up a hill, and I beat the shit outta him! This bitch-"

"Shào Mei-"

"THIS… BITCH… tried to save him, somethin' about 'young saiya teach me value of friendshii,' I didn't like the way she talked, so I beat the shit outta her, too!"

"Even though a deep point of pressure within Zinco's core had been irritated, one that sends ki flow haywire and could only conceivably be ruptured by a skilled, trained martial artist deliberately aiming for it?"

"I read a book and thought I'd try it out on the schmuck."

"(He… mocks my arts…)"

"Beginner's luck, sure… How about the nigh-identical puncture point found square in YOUR mid-section? One that ALSO aimed at a pressure point connected to the ability to draw forth energy?"

"I fell down some stairs-Jeez Louise, guy, quit the questions already. Did I or did I not kick the shit outta both these assholes?"

"(S… stairs!?)"

"I can't deny that."

Neoru snapped his fingers. "Boom. I'm guilty."

Trunks rubbed his procerus.

"Well. Don't do that. And try not to… FLING yourself down any more stairs."

"Fuck you, I'll fling myself down whatever I want!" Neoru declared as he stormed out the office.

"I don't think he even knows what that means." Trunks turned to Mei. "Looks like you're off the hook, young lady. Still, this ever happens again, maybe you won't be so lucky. Dismissed."

"Y… Yes."

"Fling myself down these stairs, jackass, don't test me…" the mostly-uneducated vagabond grumbled as he stared (HahahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) down a flight.

"Stranger."

Neo looked back. "Neoru."

Mei's confusion was visible. "Why did you take my blame?"

"You know, the big bad Saiyan whose head you damn-near lobbed off told me to check on you. Funny, right?"

The shinobi scoffed. "TELL HIM LEAVE ME BE."

"Sure," Neo shrugged, turning to walk off. "Still, there's that other thing…"

"I'm workin' on getting stronger myself, you know. I'm not stupid enough to dedicate myself to revenge, y'know, but it'd be a bummer to know that you're gone before I can take a crack at you for real. With what I KNOW I have."

He twisted his neck to the side, exposing a devious grin.

"Once I'm strong enough, **you're mine."**

And on that final note, he strutted downward.

He tripped and fell down the last flight of stairs, screeching profanities all the way down, but nothing significant came of it.

"Sh...shăchā ..."

Shào Mei'd found herself being challenged.

And yet, she blushed.

* * *

 _ **[OP: King and Ashley]**_

 **Kora's Dilemma! The Super Saiyan Problem**!

* * *

Conton City.

Yeah, uh…

No, no it still fucking sucks.

 _ **[BGM: J Dilla - 2 Can Win 0:00 - 0:06]**_

* * *

"Look, ALL I DID was make an observation," a petite pink-haired woman in a yellow gi stated in defense.

"HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING?" an azure, horned and tailed humanoid clad in bio armor maintained.

"Hey, you wouldn't be so upset if you didn't believe it yourself!"

"WHAT KIND OF BACKWARDS LOGIC-NO, I'M UPSET BECAUSE THAT KIND OF THINKING ISN'T JUST WRONG, IT'S VENOMOUS!"

"You say that like I'm not basing this on anything! If it were so "wrong," then how come-"

"NO YOU DON'T-"

"-espite only making up approximately 0.0001% of the universe's population, Musai are responsible for-"

Big green arms were all that stood between the Musai and the human's throat.

"BACK OFF, UZUM! I'LL SHOW THAT SNARKY LITTLE ASSHOLE 70%!"

"Only proving me riiight~" the vibrantly-dressed pro-observationalist taunted from the safety of a few meters.

"Metats, if you didn't explode everytime she did this, she'd've stopped the first time," Uzum calmly reasoned, before the tall, blue-loose-pants donning Namekian turned toward their human counterpart.

"Still, humans aren't exactly angels, Legin. If the man-made happenings on Earth are anything to go off of, if ever given the technology, what's to stop humans from doing the same as the, what, 10 Musai maximum who terrorized the galaxy at points?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny such an accusation."

Uzum groaned. "Regardless, the point is that you're being a massive hypocrite by putting entire species under a microscope because of the atrocities of a vocal minorit-"

"Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Uzum's eyes began to narrow.

"-hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-"

Uzum's eyes grew irate.

"…hhhhah. Humans have always had their own reasons for conflict," she shrugged. "No human's born evil, for example. Now, name one good reason for Frieza's conquest. Trickquestionyoucan't." Legin proceeded to laugh victoriously for some reason.

"THAT'S A CAN OF WORMS YOU DON'T WANT OPENED, SISTER!" Metats screeched, still in his green companion's grasp. "THOSE FEW MUSAI HAD SCREWS LOOSE, THAT ANYONE CAN ATTEST! THE R.R.A'S LEADER DID EVERYTHING HE DID JUST TO BECOME TALLER! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY GALLONS OF BLOOD WERE SHED FOR THE SAKE OF A FEW CENTIMETERS?"

"You know who ELSE killed for a few centimeters?"

"…"

"…"

"…!-"

"Frieza."

"GRAAA-"

Over the commotion of the city's antics, a certain Saiyan gave a frustrated huff.

"Every… day with these people, great galax…" she mumbled, closing her binder with a thud.

Throwing it over her shoulder, its rings gracefully slid down a bushy tail, the black-armored young woman made her way toward somewhere a tad more peaceful.

 _This is Kora._

 **No, not that one, you're thinking of the cat lady from a GOOD time patroller fanfic.**

"Hey!"

 **Shut up, keep walking.**

"At least… act like I'm right here… jeez…"

 _Age 17, Height 180cm, Born and raised on Planet Vegeta. Blood Type A, Equivalence of a perfect 4.0 GPA, Favorite color being green (deductible via the verdant sections of her armor), and if she were to be reincarnated into any animal, it would be a Paozusaurus._

 _Most importantly – or, most likely, the only detail of importance – would be that this Saiyan has recently made an enemy. One that's radically challenged her beliefs._

"Hey, Kora!"

 _This young man is most certainly not that enemy!_

A tall, incredibly-muscular Saiyan made his way toward the girl, tail wagging all the while. He wore a familiar, crimson and skin-tight training suit; now, though, he adorned over it a white chassis, not far-off in design to Kora's, coupled with black-and-yellow highlights though lacking the 2 sizeable plates coming off the waist.

"What is it, horndog?" Kora sneered.

"Aw come on!" the young man pleaded, shaking his hands. "I Just wanted to check on you, that's all!"

"Check on me or check me out?"

"I'm not THAT bad. Seriously, I just wanted to-"

"Then LOOK ME IN THE EYES, ARCHI."

Archi's face went pale.

"A-as I was saying," he sputtered, maintaining nervous eye-contact with Kora, "You've been acting weird ever since that fight you got in 2 days ago."

"Weird?" Kora shrugged off the accusation. "Whatever you're seeing, you're overthinking."

"Well, for one, you're not training nearly as hard as you used to."

"Well maybe I'm just getting burned out, ever think of that?"

"No, I don't think that's it. You're only passed out after our sessions for 30 minutes now, used to be an hour. Not just that, you're getting in less blows than usual."

"Would it kill you to rephrase that? Just… all of it?"

"What do you…" after a brief interval of silence, Archi giggled a bit. Surprisingly, Kora followed suit.

"Yeah, I wish."

"What?"

"Y-YEP THAT DID KINDA SOUND OFF, DIDN'T IT? HAHAHAHA, haaaaah…"

Kora raised an eyebrow. Archi was quick to salvage the moment.

"Wanna grab a bite? My treat."

"How much?"

"As much as I need to keep you in one spot."

* * *

Archi was a fool.

Archi was a broke-ass fool.

He could only watch from the opposite side of his dining room table as Kora ate through tens of thousands of zeni.

"So, uh…"

Even if she wanted to talk, Kora's face was too stuffed with spaghetti strands and takoyaki to communicate in a way that wouldn't result in some poor schmuck mopping up tons of wasted food.

In a way, attempting a conversation with a hungry Saiyan was like combat. One needs to wait for an opening and, in that split-second time frame, strike with an attack that opens them up to an even greater assault. And Archi wasn't green enough to miss that shot.

Kora finally managed to wolf down her current mouthful. Just as she grabbed another stick of seasoned flour balls…

"Super Saiyans."

Just as planned, the young woman came to an abrupt stop.

"…What about them?"

"That's what this moping is about, right?"

"… No."

"Wait, it isn't? Darn it, I really thought I got it right!"

Archi would've taken a few hours, but he'd've guessed the answer eventually. Kora took it upon herself to end it, then and there.

"It's. Her."

"… You mean the new girl who threw you for a loop at class?"

"No. No, it's the OTHER girl who's done nothing but push me off the edge for the past week."

"Jeeeez. I get it, you're upset."

"UPSET? WHO, ME? NOOOOOOO! I'VE JUST BEEN WALKING ON **FUCKING RAINBOWS** ALLLL WEEK! THAT'S WHAT YOU NOTICED, RIGHT? MY UNCANNY AMOUNT OF **UNRELENTING JOY**? CAN'T YOU JUST **FEEL** HOW HAPPY I AM?"

Archi couldn't tell if Kora was trying to ironically force a smile or tear her mouth apart with force of face muscles alone. Whatever it was, it petrified him.

"I… I'm sorry. It's just that I… I just can't stand the fact that I know she exists. That something like her exists."

"But you beat her. No, you down-right humiliated her in the middle of town. You beat a Super Saiyan!"

"THAT'S THE PROBLEM."

Archi's eyebrow kissed his forehead.

"If she HAD beat me within an inch of my life, if she'd proven her point, I'd be angry. But I'd be excited, too. 'I fought a Super Saiyan! I know what it's like to fight a Super Saiyan! I know what kind of power it takes to reach that state!' "

Kora's formerly-balled fist sank.

"But that's not how it went. Now I know that some 2-bit idiot who's only known the comfort of Earth living, who only sees it as some cute outfit, who DOESN'T. EVEN. KNOW. WHAT A SAIYAN. IS."

Her vision began to blur. She held a forearm over her eyes.

"Now I know it means NOTHING. That I, that my family were a bunch of fools who placed all their faith in a legend who might as well've been Chuck from South City running the hotdog stand across the street!"

Sobbing.

"I just wanted to be wrong."

A napkin crept under her forearm, and began dabbing off crumbs and sauce. Tears just-so happened to be cleaned off, as well.

"…?"

"There's still food on your face. Can't have that, can we?"

Kora gave a small chuckle. "Seriously?"

"Yyyup."

"I have to look 4 right now…"

"Still that gorgeous Kora to me. Only difference being, your eyes are even prettier right now."

Saiyans tend to all share the same onyx eye color.

Didn't stop Kora from blushing all the same.

"You are such a brown-noser."

Archi smirked.

"That day, right after you 'proved yourself wrong,' she swore something to you, right?"

Kora shrugged. "She was just being petty. Idiot'll give up half-way through at best. Definitely."

"Probably." Archi gazed outside the window. "Still, it's scary what humans can do when they put their all into something. I wouldn't rest easy over one giving you a threat like that."

"Oh, you'd know, Archi."

"Heheheheh…"

 _ **"(HOU GUI . . . )"**_

"Ahahahaha, ahhhh… stupid martial arts…"

Kora wiped away what little stray moisture remained on her face. Off the edge of the balcony, she took a deep breath of fresh air.

"I needed that." Her eyes became razor-sharp once more.

"I still think yours was a special case." She gave Archi a stern look. "You overconfident dork." Archi sank as Kora left his apartment, not before giving him a friendly tap on the shoulder.

"Thanks."

"For the food or-"

"This."

Archi cracked a smile.

As Kora made her way out the door…

"ATTENTION, ALL PROUD WARRIORS!"

 _ **[BGM: Aldnoah Zero OST – aLIEz Instrumental]**_

Kora took notice of a certain halfbreed. Said halfbreed looked like she'd been recovering from a collision with a meteor.

The booming Trunks voice kept padding for whatever reason. Still, as Kora examined the nigh-corpse, resting with eyes open, something began to well inside her. She looked up briefly and mumbled something, before her head happened to turn in the fullblood's direction.

They each shared a full-contact stare.

* * *

"In OnE Yeee…. iRsT Offf… nD…"

Welp, there was Kora.

Staring directly at her.

Oddly not fuming.

Great.

No, no sarcasm intended, great.

"(Yeah that's right.)"

Dina, with what little strength she had left, smirked.

"(Whatever… it…)"

As she faded into unconsciousness on the bench, and as a gazillion people suddenly started screaming for some reason, her final sight before black was Kora's eyes widening to an immense degree.

* * *

A thousand more reasons to train.

Kora's blood flared. A tournament to decide who'd become a time patroller? Beats any boring test, any day.

But most importantly… she was giving this personal bout her all.

Maybe Archi was right. And maybe she… Dina… wasn't as pathetic as she thought.

Kora made her way.

"Who knows?" she smirked.

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pride]**_

* * *

 **Yo! OP here!**

 **Uuuuh quick shout out to Time Patrollers 2, it's a sicc ficc that I referenced at Kora's expense.**

 **But anyway, not much to report on this week, besides how grateful I am for you uncouth wingdings and your support. I wuv wu awl, for serious.**

 **Next one will be an obligatory Thanksgiving special because dammit I'm one of the few who remember what a Thanksgiving is. I mean, its origins aren't shit to celebrate, but it still has a decent premise.**

 **Also, I finished Great Teacher Onizuka this week, fantastic series all-around and Onizuka's shadow is high-key gonna appear through this arc, considering mentorship is a theme of it and such; hell, Trunks already showed off a bit of it during that prologue in the beginning of this chapter!**

 **More regarding the chapter: I wanna take a sec to go over some text cues.**

 **First off, this is me, OP. If it'll be funny to have a character break the fourth wall, it'll happen, standard narration text will bolden, and I'll take a second to cuss out words. Productive, I know. Le funni self-aware comedy, I know.**

"This is standard narration. It's just that." OP struggled to come up with anything else to jot down this chapter before proceeding to procrastinate further. "(And these are thought cues. If I think placing a "he/she/they/it thought" would be too jarring, I'll use parentheses to express thoughts right then and there,)" he thought, after googling what a "(" was called due to his IQ of Peanut Butter..

 _THIS is emphasized narration! While usually appearing to indicate thoughts or a flashback, you'll know it's emphasized narration if the story suddenly takes a moment to describe something or someone, like a technique or an explanation of events! Think the narrator for Kengan Asura or Baki, who has the innate ability to make anything sound unbelievably hype!_

 _ **[BGM: Guilty Gear STRIVE - Smell of the Game]**_

 **^And this? Just an optional music cue to enhance the scene.**

 **If it doesn't have any quotations near it, chances are it's a text cue. You'll know either way.**

 **One more thing, take a shot for every line break in this chapter.**

 **But yeah. Besides that, just remeMBER YOU ARE BLAAAZING! STILL YOUR HEART IS BLAAAAZING!**

 **That's about it.**

 **See ya.**


	20. Conton City Gracious Gathering Event!

**Dragon Ball STEP Special! The Conton City Gracious Gathering Event!**

"Alright, testinnng, 1, 2… solid on my end, you?"

"Mic che~ck… good, it's good."

"Live in…"

"RISE AND SHINE, PROUD WARRIORS OF CONTON CITY!" shouted a certain long and lilac-headed leader, grinning as if his life depended on it. "Now I know what you hard workers are wondering; 'Why's both the workhouse and every PQ terminal closed today?' "

"Well, around this time, we Earthlings like to celebrate a holiday known as Thanksgiving. It's during this time that we gather around with friends and family – In my case, my mom, my master, and everyone who wasn't dead or dying in the general area – and take notice of what we're thankful for while stuffing ourselves with food!"

Trunks suddenly snapped his gloved fingers.

"Yeah, that's right! I've got your attention now, don't I? Here's where WE get involved. Today, we've decided-"

"I had no part in this decision, I was not warned, I was naively under the assumption that mortals valued democracy but I guess I was mistake-"

"-WEEE'VE decided," Trunks passive-aggressively maintained to the feminine voice outside the camera's focus, "That you pugnacious patrollers deserve to get down under a planet-sized feast and take some time to chillax! 30 minutes from now, make sure to dress your best, keep those big bellies empty, and think about what makes you most thankful!"

"Big thoughts and big food for big boys and girls like you! We'll have food, water, music… uh… s-sunlight? Y-yeah, that's right, we've got you photosynthetic popstars covered, too! And every other food item under the kinda-sorta sun! Patrollers and Very Important Mentors alike are welcome to join the party!"

"The first-ever Conton City Gracious Gathering Event! Be there, or be square!" Trunks's teeth gleaned as he gave one final thumbs-up.

"Cut." The cameraman gave Trunks a look from behind the tripod. "Next time, talk like you're not having a mid-life crisis?"

"Sheesh, you sound so oooold, Gramps! I'm bringing the 750s back"

"Call me what you will, but there's stuff from that era that stayed dead for a reason."

 _ **[BGM: The Caesars – Jerk It Out (0:00-0:11)]**_

"Whatever, MOM."

"Stop that."

* * *

/"You know why Bossman sounded like he was having a mid-life crisis, like 30 minutes ago?"/ a brown-skinned human asked his raven-haired cyborg pal.

/"Haven't a clue. Don't care."/

The camera zoomed out. Now in the shot was Trunks, looking on from a distance with his face drooping.

/"You're gonna cut that out, right?"/

/(Yeeeeah.)/

/"Alright, you're the bomb."/

/(Still bringing back that 750s slang, huh?) "shut up-AND WE ARE LIVE, AT THE FIRST-EVER CONTON CITY GRACIOUS GATHERING EVENT! From the looks of it-"/

Cue a slow pan…

/"- everyone decided to make an appearance, pigging out and making small talk already!"/

Trunks looked genuinely happy.

 _ **[BGM: Fatboy Slim – Right Here Right Now (0:46)]**_

/"Let's find some unstuffed faces and get a better idea of what's crackling in Conton City! Question of the Day: What are YOU most thankful for?"/ announced Trunks, dynamically pointing toward the camera.

* * *

/"Right here! Right now!"/

/(Come on, are we doing this or-)/

/"Right here! Right now!"/

The cameraman sighed as Trunks continued.

* * *

/"Hey! Sir, we're currently going around the area and asking our residents what they're most thankful for! Mind giving us a bit of insight?"/

/"Food."/

/"Yeah, food's pretty great, but… how about something a bit more… intangible?"/

The Majin narrowed his eyes.

/"Food."/

/"… allLRIGHTY THEN, MR. MAJIN! Keep having a blast!"/

The Majin looked at his breadstick. His narrow glare began to waver.

/"… Food…"/

Was this all there was to his life? No bonds. No rivals. No companions. It was just this. Food. It was all he'd ever had.

/"…H-hey dude are you OK?"/

/"FOOOO-OO-OO-OOD!"/

/"Hey, big guy! Just put down the breadstick, we can go over this-"/

* * *

/"Whew, pretty heavy start already. (No comment.) Still, high spirits! Moving out to the next one! Ma'am! Ma'am!"/

/"My, my, if it isn't Trunks…"/

The duo approached a big-busted Saiyan woman.

/"Ma'am! Mind telling Conton City what YOU'RE thankful for?"/

/"Of course I don't! Why, I'm thankful for my sweet Kisekai-kun!"/

/" 'Kun' now that's not a honorific you hear often around here!" (For a good reason-) "So then, care to tell us more about this lucky guy?"/

/"Oh-ho, my, my! MY Kisekai-sama happens to be intelligent, strong, handsome, AND kind! Such a rare breed, men like he are!"/

Trunks wasn't expecting the stranger to describe damn-near everyone in Conton City.

/"I dunno, that kinda… kinda seems... boring to me…"/

/"WHAT."/

/"Kinda seems like THANK YOU. YOU BEAUTIFUL SCARY SAIYAN LADY FOR YOUR TIME, DURING THE CCGGE Broadcast! Keep partying to the best of-"/

/"ONLY KISEKAI SEMPAI CALLS ME BEAUTIFUL-"/

* * *

Trunks, straight-faced and full eye-contact with the camera, began to break it down, periodically snapping for added effect.

/(stop that.) "…" (C'mon, stop.) "…" (Sir I'm gonna laugh and drop this I swear.) "…"/

Trunks, now nodding his head, proceeded to slowly grin.

/(TRUNKS YOU PIECE OF-)/

Both broke down into giggling fits, camera shaking as Trunks rubbed his face and readjusted himself.

/"OK, OK, let's… let's keep moving!" (That was too close, stop messing around!)/

* * *

/"Sir? Loving the color of that exoskeleton, by the way!"/

/"hello."/

/"Yeah, can you tell Conton City what YOU'RE most thankful for today?"/

/"MOST thankful? Hmm…"/

/"Just top-of-your-head, no worries! First thing that comes to mind!"/

/"Well, I'd have to say I'm thankful for the moments of silence after the battle, when I'm able to listen to the bloody gurgles and screams of fallen evildoers as they fade from this plane and into the depths of the underworld, sentenced to eternal torment for their crimes."/

/"OK, MR, uhh…"/

/"Fausbait."/

/"FAUSBAIT, thank you for that in-depth answer! Glad to know someone has such a … detailed little something to be grateful for."/

/"No, no, thank YOU, Mr. Trunks! You know, it's really the small things that matter most-"/

/"Yeah they sure do, hey, you have keep having a good time, Fausbait!"/

* * *

/"We find a patroller cut up in an alley one day, we'll know who did it." (I'm gonna wake up in cold sweats thinking about those damn eyes…) "Oh, hey! This should be interesting! Sir!"/

/"Hmph?"/

/"For all those unfamiliar, this gentleman goes by Cell. He's got some… suspect… history involving the warriors of Earth!"/

/" 'Suspect,' that's a funny way of saying 'Killed me twice, one for each timeline.' "/

/"Oh, THAT? Water under the bridge! You're in Conton City now, during the, uh, CONTON CITY GRACIOUS GATHERING EVENT! Wanna give us some insight on what YOU, Perfect Cell, are grateful for today, if anything?"

/"Excuse me, it's MR. Perfect Cell."/

Trunks didn't even try to force a smile. His expression just dropped.

/"You think you're funny?"/

/"… For your sake, I'll stop."/

/"Good." (You don't look so hot, sir.) "I'm fine and SPEAKING OF FINE, what makes YOU, PERFECT CELL, grateful, if anything? Going twice."/

Cell put on a grim smile.

/"The screeching of the innocent as I flay their loved ones slowly, and painfully."/

/"Uh huh."/

/"WHA-THAT'S IT? I'M CERTAIN THAT ACTUAL BOY SCOUTS POINT AT YOU AND LAUGH, HOW DOES THAT NOT PISS YOU OFF EVEN A LITTLE?"/

/"So what I'm getting is, you only said that to piss me off? Is that what you're saying? You value pissing people off?"/

/"Well, yeah? I guess?"/

/"Would you say you're THANKFUL for that?"/

/"I mean… sure?"/

/"Alright, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, CELL! STAY POWERFUL, AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, VALUED MENTOR!"/

Every detail of Cell's befuddled face was caught in a stunning 10,080p.

/"Oh, buzz off, I'm gonna go mock Gohan."/

/"Al…Right, let's keep mov-"/

/"Wait, forgot to specify, the one you DIDN'T let die?"/

In real time, a bright smile slowly decayed and twisted.

/"Now THAT? That, I am thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!"/

* * *

/(Deep breaths. Hhhhhhh…) "Hhhhhhhh…" (Hmmmmmmmm…) "Hmmmmmmm. Alright, I'm fine, I'm fine, we'RE BACK TO THE CONTON CITY GRACIOUS GATHERING EVENT! WE ARE LIVE! Now then- 'SCUSE ME! Young man!"/

A caramel-skinned human donning a tribal-esque vest and a backpack, serving as a makeshift sheath, suddenly stopped.

/"Eh?"/

/(Jeez, guy looks awful…) "Young man, can we-Oh. Wow, are you… are you feeling ok, buddy?"/

The kid was covered in bandages, and it looked like every muscle was focused on carrying his plate of food; compared to most other residents, it was laughably meager.

/"No."/

/"… Mind… Mind answering something for the viewers at home?"/

He shrugged.

/"OK, what are YOU most thankful for?"/

The camera zoomed in onto his dead expression.

/"Food."/

/"…" (…)/

/"Dude I'm about to break down, lemme sit before I die."/

/"YEAH, OF COURSE! Just take it easy, we're all having a good time today."/

/"Get f#$&ed."/

The young man hobbled off before stumbling and dropping his plate. He broke down crying.

/"Hey, no worries, I'll go grab you another! Just hang tight!"/

/(What kind of monster would do that do a kid?) "I know, right?"/

* * *

 _ **[BGM: Daft Punk – Around the World (1:04)]**_

/"Standing with us is one of Conton City's finest, a veteran patroller who's going on 7 years of service!"/

/"Ayyy, shout out to my mans Stroga!"/

/"Fantastic teacher, by the way. So, Kaset, mind telling us exactly what YOU'RE thankful for?"/

/"Oh that's easy. I'm thankful every day'a my life for this but… the connections I've made over my time being a patroller. I can say that it's the people I'm able to work with, and sit down and talk to at the end of the day as friends and as equals, that make life worth living."/

/"Wow, that's some hard-hitting stuff."/

/"Mhm. Oh, shout out to the girl Ayeva, Calculations Division, she's the one who convinced me to take up a mentorship side-gig!"/

/"Mentorship? Can you tell us more?"/

/"Oh You know, just helpin' a younger patroller improve himself! We'd be here all day if I went into specifics, but right now, we're just doin' light stuff, and we'll work our way up from there."/

/"Just great words from one of our greatest patrollers, everyone! Pleasure to have you on, Kaset, and best wishes to you and your pupil!"/

/"Aw, thanks, Trunks! And you should do that goofy slang from this morning more often!"/

/"Shucks, you think?"/

/(What an upstart guy.) "I know, right? We should get some more veterans!"/

* * *

/"I'm thankful for my friend, obviously!"/

/"You said it best, bestie!"/

/"Here's something I personally can't get enough of, and I'm sure many of you feel the same: two relatively new patrollers in the Thanksgiving spirit of kinship! Can I get your names, girls?"/

/"My name's Kora!"/

/"And I'm Dina!"/

/"You know, bonds like these are becoming more and more infrequent, and I find that kinda heartbreaking, considering one of the Time Patrol's top priorities is ensuring that bonds throughout history aren't broken, no matter how bizarre those bonds may be!" (This is just me but those expressions look kinda forced-) "Now, just from clothing alone, I can tell you two come from drastically different backgrounds. Can you tell us exactly how you came to know each other?"/

/"Oh, it was so happenstance when I think about it now! There she was, right, just a blubbering mess of a bloke, and I personally just couldn't STAND watching someone so down on their luck, right? So, I gave her a shoulder to cry on, told her to chin up, and we just hit it off from there! Inseparable, we are! Ain't that right, _Kora?_ /"

/"Aw, _Dina_ , you joker, you! See, this little bundle of joy just has an AWFUL case of short-term memory! Not her fault, of course! Not all of us are fortunate enough to be born gifted in the brains department, but whew, sometimes it's like no one's home up there! No, no, she's just too shy to admit how much she used to suck up to me! I just had to take her under my wing after a while, and the rest is history!"/

/"Always the overexaggerator! Of course, I'm by no means gifted – above average, easily – but I'd say I more than make up in appeal! Now, my best mate in the whole wide world, however…. Haha, let's just say there are times when height's favorable and times when it's not."/

/"Well in my experience, height's never stopped me from getting attention! Maybe it's because I haven't been smelling like blood, sweat, and sobbing lately! Any thoughts on that, bestie?"/

/"Oh-hoh, I'M sure there are reasons why you draw attention, friend! I mean, I'VE never had any problems with your extravagant fashion sense, but I've reason to believe some would consider it… I dunno, starts with s, rhymes with nutty? Ah, it's nothing!"/

/"Hahahaha, I can't even with this chick sometimes! I could just _snap her neck_ with affection!"/

/"That's so sweet, Kora-love! I'd _bash your fat head in_ if there weren't any cameras around!"/

/(I don't feel comfortable anymore.) "What're you talking about? This is vintage stuff!"/

/"Always a pleasure being around you, daddy's princess!"/

/"Haaah, at least my father loved me."/

/"…"/

/"…"/

/"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-"/

/"AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-"/

/"And it is ALWAYS a pleasure to capture budding friendships like this here in Conton City! You two enjoy yourselves!"/

* * *

/(He seems like he's in a bad mood, sure about this?) "I can't just let a patroller stay glum at a time like this, can I? 'Scuse me! Big guy!"/

The duo encountered a tall Saiyan in black-gold noble armor. Somehow, his eyes were shrouded in sharp, pitch-black shadows as he scowled.

/"Hey! We're here on a survey to know what exactly Conton City's residents are thankful for! Mind filling us in with your personal take?"/

/"Power."/

/"That was… a bit… too quick- anything a bit more, uh, wholesome that you're thankful for?"/

/"I've answered. Now begone."/

/"Aw come on, no reason to be so closed off! Let's know how you REALLY feel!"/

/"Say, you there. How much do you value that contraption of yours?"/

Trunks's eyes widened.

/(HEY. HEY YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY CAMERA.) "Easy, now, we're just being-"/

The Saiyan began rapidly approaching the cameraman.

/(I'M WARNING YOU! I'M SERIOUS NOT ONE MORE STEP OR-)/

* * *

After a brief intermission, the duo steadied on their survey. Though a myriad of wholesome individuals gave some typical gushy answers – love, friends, happiness, the second chance Conton City gave them, to name a few – other answers cropped up just as much.

Among those were "The zeni in my pockets," "Hercule saving the planet; Shut up, yes he did," "Age 739," "You, Daddy," and about 5 girls of various species saying various affectionate forms of Kisekai.

To make matters worse, several fights broke out: patroller vs patroller, mentor vs mentor (Several Gohans collectively threw a chair at Cell, reasoning is unknown,) and even a few mentor vs patroller brawls over food. The day wound down, and with a cameraman wielding a cracked lens, Trunks – physically and mentally spent – approached his final guest.

/"Ladies and gentlemen, here we have Son Goku. Greates-ONE OF. ONE OF the greatest fighters in the multiverse, Saiyan raised on Earth, yadda yadda."/

A food wall obscured to aforementioned Earth-raised Saiyan from view. Trunks was too tired to care.

/"Son. Goku. Would you like to tell Conton City. What you. Are most thankful for."/

The clattering of utensils and incessant munching came to a halt.

/"Hmm…"/

He had a good-natured giggle.

/"Well, right about now, I'd have to say that I'm thankful for… FOOD!"/

Trunks stared.

Trunks stared.

Trunks stared.

Trunks stared.

 _ **Trunks stared.**_

/"Alright, people of Conton City! That'll be it for this broadcast, and the Conton City… Gracious… Gathering… Event. Make sure you sleep off all that food and, uh… Goodnight."/

 _ **[BGM: Blink 182 - What's My Age Again]**_

"That was a disaster." Trunks popped a squat, the "sun" setting behind him.

"Ehh. Wouldn't go that far," the cameraman objected.

"Yeah, sure." Trunks walked off. "Gonna go… overdose on off-brand cranberry sauce or something, I dunno."

"Forgot to ask someone what they're grateful for."

Trunks looked back. He sighed.

"What are you grateful fo-"

"The effort you put into this event."

Trunks's dead expression lightened a bit.

"Arguably didn't work out, but… you gave it heart. As always, sir."

The black-coated arranger/host's face crumpled a bit.

"Thanks, man." His voice audibly cracked. "Wanna can of off-brand cranberry sauce for the road?"

"Naah, I'll just down some shots of nitromethane and call it a day."

"Wha-"

…

…

"Oh, yeah, always seem to forget."

"You're an android."

* * *

 **Yo.**

 **OP here.**

 **Here's to the last few hours of 2019's Thanksgiving.**

 **Have a good one, lads.**


	21. Neoru's Reacquaintance with Hell!

_**[OP: My First Story – King and Ashley]**_

 **What Lies Within You? Neoru's Reacquaintance with Hell!**

* * *

 **[YESTER-AGE]**

* * *

"Saē!"

"…"

"Saē!"

"…"

"SAĒ!"

"I'm up! I'm up!" Neo's brother picked himself up. "Good grief, you're a handful!"

"You said we could start training when the hand pointed to…"

The bright-eyed child pulled out a cracked, rusted stopwatch from his pocket.

"… THIS part!"

Saēko scratched his head. "Oh, you're using THAT battered old pedaço de lixo? Don'cha know that's… fiii-10 minutes early?" He used ki to wind the clock back 10 minutes, to Neoru's immense distaste.

"Falou?" He asked coyly, knowing very well his brother would be having none of that.

Sure enough, Neoru'd already started pouting.

"Bro…! We can't save the world if you're just snoring all day!"

Saēko gave a defeated sigh, ruffling Neo's poofy hair. "OKAY, I get it. Let's begin."

His wide-violet eyed kid brother pumped his arms into the air. "Yush!"

As the two made their way out of the busted-up home and into the young moon, as Neo stood in awe at the wonky-looking Borealis struggling to dance in the sky, Saēko couldn't help but feel a tinge of admiration. Or maybe it was pity. Or hope. All 3? Likely.

 _"I'm glad…" he thought to himself, "to know such a cabeça-dura'd little tyke."_

* * *

 **[PRESENT DAY, PRESENT TIME]**

* * *

Infinite.

If Neoru knew what it meant, he'd use it to describe the sky above.

An infinite, teal-green and deep dark blue, swirling abyss of a night sky above an endless forest.

And at the center of it all, far off in the distance, a tree of metallic-purple bark, colossal in width and height alike, piercing the sky. Like something out a fever dream.

"I know, right?"

Neoru only continued to gaze off.

" 's called a 'Stagnant Timespace.' It's no Hyperbolic Room of… no, lemme slow down. What I'm getting at is, it doesn't compress time or anything. It's just an anomaly, infinite and yet never progressing, without reason. They just kinda crop up, and the Time Patrol… 'confiscates' em. Use 'em for training purposes. Like we are…"

"Uh…huh…"

Kaset sighed. "Yeah, you don't care. Not here to lecture you, anyway."

Neoru smacked his cheeks.

"YEAH, yeah, let's uh, let's do this."

With a nod, Kaset issued his first order:

"Drop down and give me 2000."

.

.

.

"Eh?"

"2000 pushups. Do 'em."

"The hell's a thousand?"

"Twenty hundred pushups. Do 'em."

"Oh. Wait, that's it?"

"Right now, yeah. Somethin' light, lets me know what I'm working with."

Neoru shrugged. "Sure, fine, whatever."

The boy lifted himself thrice before a swift, harsh foot to the gut elevated him a good 5 heads off the ground. He spent the next few seconds reeling in agony.

"Gu-~AaAcK-! THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU-" the young man spat after rerolling his eyes to the front of his sockets.

"Oh-my bad. I just get heated when I see people do the simplest shit wrong. Something I picked up off the old bastard that trained me. Apologies."

"I DID THE DAMN PUSHUPS…!" Neoru gasped, baring through the pain of the blow and standing again, before having his legs swept from under him with a kick that shook trees well past the horizon.

"Nooo, YOU kept dropping yourself and throwin' your weight all over the place, looking like a pile'a meat with Parkinson's."

"WHAT THE F…"

In a huff, Neoru once more dropped to the ground, outstretched backward, lined himself up, straightened his back, and did a pushup as passive-aggressively slow as humanly possible; all while maintaining eye contact with a disgusted Kaset.

"AW COME ON!"

"You didn't feel how shaky that was? How off-center that shitshow felt?" implored the experienced patroller. "My WORD boy, I've never seen form so sloppy since I first started!"

Neoru hardly shook.

"You're so smart then SHOW ME!"

Kaset proceeded to do a perfect pushup; he seamlessly lowered himself from optimal rest position until his chest was millimeters from the ground, shifted his core forward as far as possible, returned to initial position, and promptly raised himself upward; his performance was comparable to a machine's.

"2000-NO, 4000. 4000 of these exact movements!"

"F-FINE, DIPSHIT! IF IT'LL GET YOU TO SHUT UP, I'LL DO 'EM!"

Neoru got down to all fours, took up posture and, with every ounce of concentration, lowered himself.

"ONE! TWO!"

* * *

"th… thirty…"

"3999, come on."

"…"

The uppity vagabond's eyes were popping out of his skull.

"Come OOOOON…" Kaset yelled, clapping his hands.

Neoru had been swindled out of a day's worth of food over coins worth literally less than dirt in the past, and he'd been less angry then he was right now.

"Damn it…!"

Besides. Back then, it was just people doing what they had to. Now?

"Gnnh…"

He was too pathetic to do a simple pushup.

"…!"

"Last one."

"…uuuUNDRED!" Neo held the position until his arms gave out on him, and he crashed into the dirt below him, panting like a dog all the way.

"Sure took your sweet time, jeez," Kaset blankly stated, arms crossed and boredom written across his face. Neoru couldn't so-much-as cough in his general direction before…

"Alright, let's move on."

Neo had to shake off the fear which briefly took hold of him.

"Can you get up?"

After a brief struggle, the boy got back on his feet.

"Oh damn, your arms look like they're about to fall off-"

"JUST MOVE ON!"

"…betta watch yo damn tone, lil… Anyway, you won't need your arms for this next one. Again, just wanna see where you are right now, this'll be somethin' light."

"THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE LAST ONE, DIPSHIT!"

"THAT **WAS** LIGHT, YOU JUST WEAKER THAN I-DON'-KNOW-WHAT!"

Kaset cleared his throat. "Professionalism, professionalism… you know how to set a core, right?"

"No?"

"Sharp breath and tense your 'stomach muscles.' "

Kaset gave an example. Neoru followed suit.

"Alright, hold that. I'll be right back."

Kaset jogged into the forest.

Which gave Neoru some time to contemplate what he'd thrown himself into.

" 'Light,' huh?"

Neo chuckled to himself.

"Why the hell am I putting myself through this again?"

…

"Oh yeah, a reason. Being strong spans my options and stuff."

"… Geez, you mean the only reason I'm going through with this is to find a reason? You're one sad sack'a shit, Neoru…"

Neoru gave a cynical a sigh after the fact.

"Screw it. I'll just worry about an actual reason once I'm strong enough to find it on my own. Besides, shouldn't need any stupid reason to get stronger."

His mind traced back to his encounter with Zinco and the freaky psycho bitch. How he was so easily disposed of, and… how Zinco threw himself in the way. How much it pissed him off, how people'd act so stupidly in the heat of the moment. And how his own weakness forced the situation.

Again.

"And as long as I stay the way I am, whether or not I like it, some asshat's gonna end up treating me like a kid. Hell, a KID wound up treating me like a kid…"

He grit his teeth.

"Nothing more to it. I don't care what it takes, I'm gonna be a strong as I can, no matter what the hell is he holding?"

 ** _[BGM: Samurai Champloo OST (Departure Track) – Death Wish]_**

Neoru was too busy feeling sorry for himself to notice the tree that'd come down a minute prior. He most certainly noticed it now that Kaset was walking in his general direction with that very tree in tow.

"You're still tensing your core, right?" the tutor asked while holding a tree the size of a 10-story building.

EVERY MUSCLE in Neoru's body was now as tensed as possible. The boy's eyes resembled an LSD-ridden tarsier's.

"OK, good. Now, focus everything you've got in that central region of your body."

Neo devolved into a sweating, stuttering mess.

"W-wait… yo-you're fuckin' with me… stop… this isn't funny any…"

"One…"

Kaset had already made up his mind, ensuring he wouldn't miss his pupil's centremass with a practice swing.

"Two…"

Neo balled his fists.

"(NO. NO, FUCK IT. DO IT. SWING THAT BITCH WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, ASSHOLE!)"

Kaset wound the tree back once more, taking one forceful step forward before throwing his weight into one swing.

"THRRREE!"

"RRRAAAAAAAAAA-"

A violent CRACK echoed through and dissipated into the infinite dimension.

The older patroller looked on in subtle admiration, as ethereal bark seemed to drift through the air in slo-mo.

The tree actually snapped.

Neoru fell to his and howled in absolute agony.

"Alright! You're more solid than I thought!" exclaimed Kaset over Neo's screaming, his voice inaudible to the pain-wracked student.

"Hey…" he knelt down to meet Neo. "Can you stand?"

"CAN YOU GO FUCK YOURSELF?" He wheezed out between pulses of pain.

"Can you stand?" Kaset pressed. "At least try. You didn't come here to complain, did you?"

After a pause, Neoru ripped out his hands out of the rough soil and, perhaps miraculously, stood. "There, you damn sadist, ya happy now?"

"Sadist, huh?" Kaset smirked.

"What else'd you call this?" Neoru smirked in return.

"Oh, best believe, this is gonna look like cake compared to some'a the rougher stuff I've got planned. But you know what?"

"…?"

"I can tell you're up for it."

"Ah, shut up. This ain't it, is it?"

[ ** _BGM: Earthside – The Ungrounding]_**

"Nope. See that tree?" He pointed to the colossal tree in the distance.

"Yeah…?"

Kaset seemed to teleport into the air.

"Full sprint. Now."

"Wha-"

An explosion cut off the young man's inquiry, as he was sent sprinting by a hailstorm of ki blasts.

"I WOULDN'T STOP IF I WERE YOU!"

"SHIT! HE REALLY WANTS ME DEAD…!" Neoru gasped, his soreness from the previous "exercise" now taking its toll on the boy in full force.

In fits of strained wheezing, he ran on pure self-preserving instinct, the forest violently shaking and taking on a blueish hue all the same. The dirt below his feet blew in a fractured frenzy into the wind, every high-speed stomp creating a new crater as he pushed himself forward with enough speed to outpace any earthly car in a flash.

The pain in his torso multiplied, to the extent that he felt like he'd rip himself apart if he continued at his current pace. Neoru began to lose speed; Kaset wasn't trying to take him out, after all. That bastard was just goating him on.

He dropped to about half his initial velocity before a blast hit him dead-on, sending unbelievable pain searing through his being. His scream echoed through the realm.

No, he'd lost it; Kaset WAS trying to kill him.

That piece of shit really wanted to either work him to death or fry him.

Neoru threw himself forward, running once more. He wouldn't give him the pleasure of either; now, this was personal.

He violently threw one arm after the other backward, constantly advancing at a pace that seemed to be increasing, as the grimace across his face threatened to rip it in two. The pain picking at his being was ever-present – perhaps now more than ever – but now, Neoru fought against it. He didn't care anymore; he was gonna reach that fucking tree, and there wasn't a damn thing anyone was gonna do to stop him.

Though his mind was in a ride-or-die state of rage and concentration, his body was under immense stress all the same. The aching exponentially increased, his sweat streaming off him as the forest heated up with the temperature of Kaset's energy.

Compared to the pain he felt that day when he "died," that flesh-molting energy, that anguish of giving all he had and failing spectacularly, this was nothing.

But this was pain all the same.

Neoru fell, his legs abruptly giving way. Suddenly, all the agony he'd put himself through compiled at once, threatening to eat him alive as he screeched in shock.

"FORWARD…!"

"FORWARD…!"

"GO...!"

His vision was clouded with white blobs. All of his senses were going haywire.

But like a revenant that wouldn't let either rest, the thought of his failures invaded his mind. Soon, it became a struggle of justifying his existence; if he died here, if he gave in, EVERYTHING he'd ever done would be for nothing. In that moment, as he picked himself up through tearing muscles, he wanted to prove it to himself.

He wanted proof that he wasn't a waste.

And so, his spirit roared alongside him.

He took a step, flung himself forward, and passed out from shock.

The blasts stopped.

"Did… did I take this too far…?" Kaset worried as he descended to Neoru's bleeding carcass – a good few kilometers away from that final self-flinging. He was subjected to this kind of torture as a boy, as well, but he'd bashed Death's door handle multiple times as a result. Yet, when he went to check Neoru, despite his visible condition…

He could feel something emanating from the boy: something beating. Something stronger than Neoru. Something that wanted something greater.

Kaset's mortified expression rose to one of admiration, as he smiled warmly. His gaze rose to meet the tree, a hundred kilometers before the boy.

"About 3 weeks on some hot legs, about a day and a half with a hot rod, and… about 7 minutes for a hothead."

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pride]**_

"Not dead yet, huh? Rest easy, Dragon."

* * *

 **Yo! OP Here!**

 **5 weeks have passed since my last update. You know what that means: double update tiem, lads! Yeah, I'll drop the next chapter hopefully tomorrow. It'll highlight Dina's training, as well as a particular date both she and Trunks are eccentric about. Hint: it's Kwanzaa, obviously. It'll also be wholesome, somewhat at least.**

 **But uh, yeah. Nioh is hard as shit. It's also fun to bash my head on a wall until it breaks. Therefore, I'm having fun with this game. Besides the art concentrations I've had (I've got another one right now, but who cares tbh) that's pretty much why I've been absent. Nioh, hmmm... seems like a cool name for a character. Eh, someone probably took that already. Regardless, let's discuss this Neo chapter.**

 **Regarding his heritage, you probably noticed his big bro speaking some (Prolly butchered) Portuguese tongue. Originally didn't know if I wanted to give Neoru a kinda Japanese or Brazilian-inspired ethnicity, but then I remembered that Dragon Ball doesn't have or care about real-world continents or countries. So, naturally, I combined the two cultures and made an indigenous, islander people. The name I'm thinking of ATM is Oroji, based on the "-ology" suffix. Their story involves a long history of weaponizing fighting spirit/spirit energy. And THIS will be elaborated upon as the story progresses, because this is still a relatively new concept.**

 **(Here's somethin to do: calc Neoru's current footspeed based on what's been given. Hint: he made7000 km before he dropped.)**

 **If this chapter got you pumped up, I'd be ecstatic to hear that, because that's the goal of this story. A lot of fanfics are about escapism and self-insertion, and I personally despise the concept; I wanna make stuff that makes people jump up and push themselves further. That's what Dragon Ball is in essence, after all. As for the boi Neoru, he'll be at big boi levels soon enough, but I wanna keep WHEMAET-Y arc characters below Frieza-saga levels for the most part, so there's that.**

 **But yeah, I'm gonna get to work on this chapter, and you guys and gals have a decent holiday.**

 **See ya.**


	22. An Xmas to Remember!

_**[OP: My First Story – King and Ashley]**_

 **An Xmas to Remember! Dina, Meet D.I.A.N.A!**

Beep!

Beep!

Beep!

"Mrrrh…"

Beep!

Beep!

Beep!

"Mrrrrh…"

Beep!

 **BEEP!**

 _ **BEEP!**_

 _ **BE-**_

"PISS O… D'oooow!"

The force at which she'd brought her hand down violently shook her already-sore body.

She sighed as she crawled out of bed. Once more, she documented how many days had passed since she wound up in this bizarre city; her time was more important than this world's, after all.

"Let's see… 1, 2, 3…"

The halfbreed suddenly paused.

"Woke up here on the 15th… about… 10 days now…"

Dina flared.

 _ **[BGM: Green Day – Xmas Time of the Year 0:00 – 0:40]**_

"IIIIIIT'S XMAAAAAAAAAAS!"

Any iota of soreness or fatigue vanished into nothing. She ecstatically burst through her door, ramming through multiple other groggy patrollers on her way down the criminally-plain hallways on her way outside the apartment.

When she was a few feet smaller, Dina would spend entire giddy nights just waiting to dig into the bottom of that tree downstairs by the corner of the room, the golden morning sun reflecting through the window from off the snow providing her home with a warm, heavenly glow amidst the frigid winds of winter. Soon after, she and her father would bundle up all comfy-like, go to the park, and build snowmen; her friends would pop up sooner or later, and they'd have (admittedly unfair) snowball wars. By the end of the day, they'd have a cup of hot cocoa and wrap up the day in blankets, sometimes with a holiday special over the television.

That perfect mental image in mind, she shoved open the complex's main 2 doors and bared witness to…

Not a flake of snow.

A few passersby gave Dina the same look one would give a hopeless drunk in the back of an alley.

Her smile had seemingly stuck to her face. Her eyes, however, sank along with her brows.

"What did I even… expect…"

Now it was her head that sank.

"…"

"…"

"… No."

Dina balled her fists, a new look of resolve forging itself.

"It's XMAS, for crying out," she declared as she rose upward. "THEREFORE, if there's no snow, I'll DEMAND snow."

"Hey, I've got places to go, can you hurry it up or something?" asked a small, purple, catfish-whiskered fellow. Dina turned to him with a borderline insane look, grabbing his shoulders.

"DOES THIS LOOK NORMAL TO YOU? AN XMAS WITHOUT NOT A TRACE OF SNOW? DOES IT? ANSWER ME!"

"Uh…"

"…"

"… what's snow?"

Silence.

* * *

Dina didn't know she could run this fast.

* * *

Trunks looked at his stupid piece of fruitcake.

As a child, it was tradition for he, his mother, and his master to dig into one around this time of year. They usually made him want to vomit, but anything edible was a godsend when he was a boy; and around December, fruitcakes were peculiarly plentiful in his timeline. Now that he was older, however… no, they still made him want to vomit, but the commander of the Time Patrol valued nostalgia. He was sentimental like that.

Before he could dig in to the memorial dessert, a wild animal bashed against the door of his office, startling the fruitcake onto the floor.

"IT'S IMPORTANT!"

Trunks tensed. Towa? Another rift? Damn it, why today?

He undid the lock with a flick of the index, straightened himself out, and sat upright.

"Come in!"

The door slang open, revealing a panting Dina.

"What's wrong?"

"IT'S XMAS!"

"… Yup. It's the 25th of December." Trunks began to cool off, concern replaced with confusion.

"EXACTLY!"

"You said this was important." Trunks began to get annoyed.

"IT'S DIRE! THERE'S NO SNOW! HOW CAN THERE BE AN XMAS WITHOUT SNOW?"

"Ma'am, do you know what constitutes as 'important?' "

Dina suddenly snapped.

"XMAS IS IMPORTANT!" she roared, covering her mouth immediately after.

"I-I'm sorry, It's just… I'm new to a place like this. Just… panicked a bit at the realization there wouldn't be snow. Sorry for your time."

Self-defeatism was relatively new for Dina. Recent events had humbled her a tad, is all. As she got out of the office…

"This date. What does it mean to you? Really?"

She stopped in her tracks.

"Well, presents, for one," she smiled. Trunks didn't approve at all.

"And…"

Her fists gradually unballed. Remembering the warmth that the cold brought on…

"Bonds, I guess you could say. And memories."

Trunks maintained his stoic visage.

"Can't say I ever had many fond ones of fruitcake, but…" Trunks carefully scooted the fallen piece under his desk.

"Snow just helps add to what makes it special, I guess? I'm quite selfish, pardon me."

Dina gulped, once more facing the exit.

"May I leave now?" her voice audibly cracked. "I have to go train."

"You're free to go."

The memories of what she once had welled inside her heart. Knowing she'd never experience anything like them again, and that the family and friends she'd loved so much were gone, wounded her in particular.

So, in a desperate bid to stop herself from wailing on the ground like a small child again, she focused on the one thing from THIS world that stole her attention from the past and gave her a goal to strive for.

Kora.

And how far behind her she likely was.

She wiped the tears that escaped and set out to find Ayeva.

* * *

Both Kaset and Stroga huffed heavily.

The brown-skinned, buzz-cut human's arm dangled uselessly off his side. The teal-skinned, small-crested namekian clutched his midsection.

"Damn… After all this time, you're… still as slippery as ever, if not more…"

"And your punches… carry even more speed and weight behind them than before… It's always a pleasure, brother…"

The two approached each other, available fists clenched. They raised them in order to finish what they started.

"Ill shit."

"Yes, terminally ill in fact, my dude."

"With your lame ass…"

They chuckled as they bumped fists.

"How was that, Ayeva?" Stroga implored, Ayeva flashing a deadpan "ok" gesture from behind the transparent, glass-like panel.

"A perfect 50.0% output from each of you, though Kaset began to fluctuate half-way into the spar." She gave a stern glare at the bashful man. "Overall, a successful session… Thanks for the data, you two. Really."

"Ay, it's no problem. Besides, I'm feelin' jolly today."

"Is the automaton for your purposes?" asked Stroga. "Contemplating a return to the front lines, perhaps?"

"I doubt it. She's workin' with a rookie, too. Prolly a gift," Kaset hypothesized. "She's got a widdle soft spot for her, givin' her Xmas presents and shi-"

A spherical drone suddenly barreled from the side of the gravity room, knocking Kaset upside the head.

"Shut up."

"Meanie butt!" Kaset whined. "I'm finna go train MY student! The one who's cooler than yours!"

"I'm going to chase you."

"Pppppppbt!" Kaset tossed out his gate and huffily stomped into it.

"I don't think I'd ever accept it if you two changed." Stroga chuckled to himself. "In any case, your respective pupils should prepare themselves once classes resume. Speaking of, I'll be off now. Best of luck, and… happy holidays." He tossed forth his gate and strolled out, waving all the way.

Ayeva sighed. "I wish those two wouldn't go so far sometimes." She took out a gate of her own. This time, she'd be the one to seek out Dina.

It didn't take long, considering the latter immediately crashed into her once she reached Conton City.

* * *

"That was… convenient, to say the least," Dina joked as master and student flew through space, the student grabbing onto the master's jacket.

"I didn't cause anything major, did I?" Ayeva asked.

"Oh, no, not at all."

"Good, good."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Miss Ayeva?"

"…?"

"D'ya know what Xmas is?"

"A prevalent Earth holiday taking place on the 25th of December, known by a multitude of names, revolves around the giving and taking of materialistic items, coupled with the widespread folktale that a bearded man in red and white circles the globe at hypersonic speeds on a sleigh pulled by mythical flying reindeer, distributing presents and/or energy-rich minerals based on a self-composed moral compass."

"Well when you put it like that, of course it sounds stupid…"

"Did I make an error?'

"It's not that, It's just… it's more than that. To me."

"Is there a reason you asked me about Xmas?"

"… no. No good one, just curious."

"That's a good reason. It is the 25th, after all."

"uh-huh…"

"This is your first Xmas outside of your time, isn't it?"

Dina maintained silence.

"That's why you look so distressed."

"… I think I'm ready to go past 10x gravity now. Whaddo you think?" Dina smiled.

"We'll… see, won't we?"

"(Brilliant move. That was too far!)"

After what felt like an eternity – about 10 seconds, in real time – they reached the pocket gravity room.

"All right, coach! Start this baby up, whenever!"

"Before we begin, there's something I want you to see. It's a… present."

Dina's eyes gleamed. "Really?"

 _ **[BGM: Bootsy Collins With Buckethead – Shackler]**_

A portion of the room sank, then slowly resurfaced, revealing a fridge-sized, cylindrical capsule. One side of it slid over, then another. A figure emerged as smoke poured forth.

"Talk about flashy…" the halfbreed quipped before her eyes widened in shock.

Before her stood what could only be described as a doll.

"This is the Dynamically-Imitative and Adaptive Neo-Automaton."

"… Diana…"

It hunched over before locking on to the girl and taking a position perfectly mocking hers.

Over its sleek shell, a holographic body began to take form; red eyes with brown shoulder-length hair jutting over her shoulder, a red t-shirt with blue highlights, blue jeans, and a pair of stupid-looking sneakers.

"Oh… oh my…"

Dina remembered sending Santa constant pleas for a life-sized robot for Xmas, pleas which turned into negotiations, which turned into threats of physical harm, which turned into harassing her father nonstop once she hit teenage years.

Had she ever seen something like this back then, she would've asked for an EMP-emitting teddy bear instead.

"(Not… creepy at all…)" She began circling the machine, and D.I.A.N.A. circled back.

"Right now, Diana is imitating the first thing it detects. However, should you ask, I'll set it to its default; its own unique fighting style based on the two best martial artists I know."

Dina continued to circle D.I.A.N.A, taking note for how detailed the robot's movements were, and how precisely they mirrored her own.

"How bizarre…"

She stopped in place, as did it.

"So, how do you like it?" Ayeva asked.

Dina didn't answer.

She instead proceeded to burst into erratic poses.

And, as she'd hoped, D.I.A.N.A. followed.

Her absurd gestures ranged from childish, to threatening, to suggestive, to menacing, to _**MENACIN**_ _ **G,** _and everything in between.

Ayeva looked on with a blank expression.

"I take that you like it."

Dina and D.I.A.N.A. slowly turned to Ayeva, one of them with a wide-eyed, wide-mouthed smile.

"Best. Present. EVAH." She squeaked.

Her coach gave a tiny smile.

"It's regardless, but construction, wiring, and programming combined took 3 days."

"… 3 days?"

"In the sparse amounts of free time I had, yes."

"Oh, wow, you're dangerous."

"In any case, Diana is not a toy. I made it to further aid in your training, to ensure you're doing more than increasing your power. For example, every minute, it'll analyze the data collected over the previous seconds of combat, identifying the flaws in how you fight and determining ways to overcome them on its own, simultaneously maneuvering around your shortcomings and forcing you to adapt."

"I don't need to worry about breaking it, right?" Dina inquired as she came closer to D.I.A.N.A.

"No. It's nowhere near maximum output at the moment."

" 'zat a fact…"

Dina looked her double straight in the eyes.

She shrugged, turning around with a nonchalant grin on her face.

"Hah! From where I'm standing, it just looks like some cheap market toy! Sure it looks pretty, but at the end of the day, I'm sure all it amounts to is-"

 _ **[BGM: Megalo Box OST – Battlefield]**_

Dina heelturned with a haymaker.

Instantly, D.I.A.N.A responded with a haymaker of its own, their fists colliding.

"Woah…"

She lunged back, as did the android.

"x10!"

Ayeva applied an instant x10Gs to the room. Dina'd progressively gotten better under x10 gravity, and it showed in her notably burdened yet controlled footwork. She jabbed away at her mechanical adversary, who met her blows with its own, before upping the speed of her punches. They exchanged an explosive flurry before Dina attempted a feint; only to meet D.I.A.N.A copying her maneuver. She jumped backward, as did her double, and both charged once more; Dina did another feint, initiating a punch with her right fist only to spin and throw a backhanded left. Once D.I.A.N.A read Dina's movement and copied, the latter threw herself upward using the outstretched, stiff robotic arm before her and kicked the doppelganger square in the face before a response could be made.

Dina landed on one foot, sloppily rebalanced herself, and raised her forearms again. The machine stumbled back for a moment before a green strip of light washed over it. Once it regained its footing, IT took initiative and, to her surprise, began to lay into Dina. The punches lacked any metallic force – where Ayeva found such a metal-like material, she wasn't sure – yet they still battered her a fair bit, even as she guarded against them. Now, every move Dina made had been deciphered by D.I.A.N.A; it was not only using her previous attacks and movements against her, it'd improved upon them, utilizing them with a machine's efficiency and precision while humiliating every move Dina made in comparison with quick, subtle dodges.

Still, the playing field had been evened; now, D.I.A.N.A was making its own moves without needing to read Dina's, meaning Dina could act without having her attack thrown back and wind up in a perpetual stalemate. One thing the automaton hadn't learned yet was blocking; therefore, she could rely on the certainty of a dodge to trip it up and leave it vulnerable. She guarded against D.I.A.N.A's oncoming onslaught and tried to throw her weight and energy into a headbutt upon an inevitable gap in between blows. She hadn't considered one important factor, however: Dina lacked both the control and skill to successfully land such an attack. As such, upon her attempt, she threw herself into a very hard and very fast punch. In regards to mass and acceleration, the math wasn't on her side.

Dina felt her nose break and some suffered some badass whiplash as she soared across the room, everything suddenly going dark as her figurative Xmas tree lights were knocked out.

* * *

She woke up in a bed.

The persistent migraine which she now felt triggered a groan from the recovering half-Saiyan. Not a second later, Mama Robobear rushed into the room. Her deadpan expression did wonders to betray her frantic reaction to such a simple noise.

"I'm sorry, Dina," Ayeva glumly stated once she was positive her spotee was conscious, as if she'd been waiting to apologize for…

"How long was I out?"

"6 hours."

6 hours.

"…Heh."

"It was reckless of me to design such a machine," Ayeva continued, nearing the bedside. "I'll reboot it as soon as I possibly can to make it more suitable for-"

 _ **[BGM: Air Gear OST – Chain (Acoustic) 0:00-1:56]**_

"What? No!" Dina suddenly objected, to Ayeva's shock and terror.

"Yes! You aren't ready for such a machine, you've hardly been in any serious conflict at this point, please just let me-"

Dina desperately grabbed Ayeva's arm, her eyes doing as much pleading as the patroller's were.

"It's hopelessly rude to take away a girl's Xmas present…"

She smiled.

"No pain, no gain, as they say. Let me make this decision."

"… Oh…"

Ayeva sighed. No, it was more of a heave, really.

"SWEAR you won't make me regret this."

That brimming, determined flame Ayeva once saw in Dina's ruby eyes blazed once more.

"I. Swear."

Nod. "Alright. Diana stays. But, in any regard, you've had enough training for one day."

"Here, here. But there's one more thing I want to do with you."

"? What would that be?"

* * *

"I've never made this beverage before, so pardon me if it's not to your-"

"Oh, stop! It already smells heavenly…"

Ayeva's wrist gauntlet projected a black screen upon the wall opposite of the bed Dina rested on. Before long, a peculiar little bell jingle played, as opening credits rolled.

The two proceeded to watch a movie involving a child and his grandmother defending their home against a mustache-twirling conductor and his army of hot chocolate-wielding minions, using elite means of guerilla warfare including marbles, strategically-placed tarantulas, and the most dangerous weapon known to man, clips of 650s-Age vignette flicks. By the end of it, the pair stopped Santa from being convicted of implied manslaughter and sued for the North Pole's entire inventory, by hitching a train heading there with the help of 3 fellow kids who also assisted in the thwarting of the evil conductor.

It was nonsensical, it was hammy, and in all honesty, it was an abysmal movie from an objective standpoint.

And the two girls had the time of their lives. Each sipping a cup of hot cocoa, ripping into the movie, and amusing themselves with their own unique brands of wit.

Dina was far from home, still very much out of her element. Yet that day, she was reminded of what made Xmas magical for her.

She'd further bonded with the one person who'd, for no reason other than reluctant kindness, cared for her. As an indirect result, the two created a memory they could look back upon and cherish forever.

The ending credits rolled, and Ayeva stood from her position on the end of the bed.

"I'm going to rendezvous with my coworkers in the Calculations Division. They're arguing over the approximate multiplier of the Super Saiyan state. Again. You're positive about sleeping here tonight?"

"Mh-hmm."

"Got it. Then I'll be back."

Dina suddenly shot up before Ayeva could leave the space, trapping her in a hug.

"Thank you. Thank you for this." Tears streamed down her face.

"It's nothing, really." Ayeva patted Dina's head. "Now get some sleep, tiger."

"Yeah. Sure."

With that sentiment, Ayeva opened her gate and left the domicile.

…

For about a minute.

"Dina?" Ayeva called, having just returned.

"Uh, yeah?" the halfbreed was halfway into a slumber.

"You'll want to see this."

"Eh?"

* * *

 _ **[BGM: Sengoku BASARA OST – Fist ~From the WORTHY Tiger With Love~ 0:00 – 0:49]**_

"THE PEOPLE DEMAND SNOW THIS XMAS!" Trunks loudly proclaimed to the dark hall.

"… Okay, so?" a small feminine voice replied.

"So? SO? WE CAN MAKE IT SNOW!"

"No, I can make it snow. Besides, are you even considering the patrollers sensitive to abnormal temperatures?"

Trunks proceeded to dramatically rip from his coat pocket a gigantic list of names, votes, and suggestions for how to implement snow.

"RENZ! RENZ, GET IN HERE!"

A familiar elite cameraman entered. "Yeah, boss?"

"EXACTLY HOW MANY PATROLLERS OBJECTED TO THE IDEA OF SNOW?"

"Like, 20?"

"AND WHY IS THAT?"

"Snow's cold."

"AND HOW DO WE FIX THAT?"

"I mean, people suggested snow befitting a patroller's average temperature tolerance, it's kinda worded weirdly but-"

"THAT! THAT'S HOW WE COMPROMISE!"

"That's a lot of effort for something so menial," the divine voice boorishly retorted.

Trunks shrugged. "I mean, it WOULD be a grand display of what your capable of, thus inspiring respect, faith, and reverence into those who work under your name, but hey, what do I know?"

Silence.

"… what was that about reverence?"

* * *

 _ **[BGM: Samurai Champloo (Impressions) – Nujabes – Silver Morning]**_

Dina's eyes welled.

The sky was a shade of icy blue. And from it, fell…

Snow.

And she was knee-deep in it.

She scooped up a handful, shaping it into a ball.

It was a tad warmer than what she was used to – somehow, not disturbing the genuine snow's integrity in the slightest – but it didn't matter.

All across Conton City, patrollers of all ages, shapes, and sizes were experiencing it, too.

Many were experiencing it for the first time. Many were reuniting with it for the first time in ages.

Snowball skirmishes, snow creatures, snow forts and… castles… snow angels and snow devils.

It was one of those rare moments of mass joy.

"How is it?" Ayeva turned to her pupil, who smiled ear-to-ear.

"Wicked."

"THINK FAST!" Ayeva was suddenly smacked in the face with a snowball.

"Oooh, damn!" Kaset giggled. "I thought she'd at least try to dodge!"

"Oh, don't mind us, Ayeva!" Stroga added. "Just a misplaced shot at, uh… that snoozaru behind you!"

She fell for it and paid with another snowball.

Kaset howled, while Stroga smirked coyly.

"WHAT THE FUCK STROGA THAT WAS DIRTY! OOH NOO!"

"Come now, you should know better than to trust your enemy!"

Dina's brow raised. "Wait, That's my teach.."

Ayeva's glowing azure eyes bore a hole through the snow. In a millisecond, she'd amassed a few thousand snowballs. Both Kaset and Stroga's expressions morphed into abstract fear.

"YOU'VE CHOSEN THIS PATH."

"Awaiting orders, captain!" Dina saluted in a military outfit she pulled from… uh…

"FIRE AT WILL."

"ROGER THAT!"

And thus, that Xmas, a war began.

* * *

"Boss?"

"Yeah?"

"Why this year, specifically? Did you finally lose it or something?

Trunks caught some snow in his palm.

"No, actually. A rookie came to me this morning. Reminded me of that Xmas passion and… suddenly, the idea of no snow became unbearable."

"You're one bizarrely festive man, sir."

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for unity."

"No truer words. One more thing, this's been on my mind for a while."

"Go on."

"Xmas. How'd it start, anyway?"

Trunks turned with a dead-serious expression.

.

.

.

"Uhuh-uh."

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pride]**_

* * *

 **Yo! OP Here!**

 **I don't really like how rushed this chapter felt.**

 **Why?**

 **Because I spent ALL DAY on it. There's a reason I don't do weekly** **chapters. dammit.**

 **Regardless, I hope you guys enjoyed this. I also hope you had a sppplended day, whether or not you celebrate Christmas or not. Cus I don't. I call it Xmas here because trying to put Jesus in Dragon Ball is just dumb. Even I know that.**

 **That's regardless, too, though. There's one aspect of spirit of the holiday that's stayed consistent for centuries across the globe, and that's the integrity of love and bonds. Yeah, bonds. I'm a regular Ieyasu. So stay true and keep loving those close to you.**

 **So, uh, I really like Air Gear and I really hated the ACT. Sierra Mist is pretty good and so is Titanfall 2. Most importantly, I STILL love you all. Keep on pressing forward, everyone, and have a joyous new ENTIRE DECADE. Yeah, you (hopefully) survived to see the beginning of something new. I mean, I don't exactly know for sure if the next decade will be new in any way, it's just a hunch.**

 **You can't expect me to see what's in store 6 days from now, y'know.**

 **It's not like I have 2020 vision!**

 **HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I have to wear glasses.**

 **Yeah, That's about it. Happy holidays, and See ya!**


	23. Kaza's New Acquaintance!

_**[OP: My First Story – King and Ashley]**_

 **Kaza's New Acquaintance! Can A Vengeful Heart be Swayed with Compassion!?**

The Academy opened its doors once more, and classes had been rigorous; once entailing basic schooling and training, they'd begun to add martial fundamentals and mathematical breakdowns of chi to the mix.

For many, this wasn't even close to their out-of-class learning experiences. And many a reason, students started taking up training of their own.

Shào Měi was one such student.

"… Denko…"

"… Danchu…"

"… Soto-Shakutaku…"

The young woman stared intensively at a finely-detailed ink rendition of a "Hou Gui" amongst the bustle of the commons, occasionally dotting certain points around the sketch's body and labeling them in complex hanzi. She took periodic spoonfuls of millet while conducting her study of biology.

She sat by her lonesome near the darker sections of the hall. Měi liked it this way, noise was minimized and the lack of Saiyans ensured she could concentrate on her studies without her senses hazing with rage and fear. It just felt safer in general.

"… Shuko… Yako… Kinte-"

Měi slowly looked upward.

"Uh… C-can I… I…"

Měi seemingly stared blankly at the new, peculiar face.

"I… nevermind…"

Měi's eyes suddenly widened in realization as to what this giant girl wanted, before giving her all to use a casual confirmation she'd recently taught herself.

"SHHHOORRE…!"

Kaza suddenly stopped. Now, she was giving Mei the blank stare.

"Huh?"

"Sh…shore?"

It took a second for Kaza to piece it together.

"You mean I can sit here?"

Měi furiously nodded her head. A wave of pride washed over her; she was learning this world's tongue quickly!

As the two sat, they found themselves suddenly frozen. As in… neither wanted to simply sit in silence now that they'd found someone they could… somewhat… talk to.

"…"

"… I… uh…"

"…"

"… I like your drawing!" Kaza abruptly noted, pointing toward Měi's illustration. Considering how much it resembled Zinco, she found it especially cool. "What's it about?"

"Hóu Gui Túyàng."

"Oh… I-it's so detailed!"

"It must be, or it's of no use to me."

"Use…?"

"Study of 'Saiyan' body." Měi's voice shook with a thinly-veiled malice. Just enough for Kaza to pick up on. "I must be perfect."

"… OH! You're a doctor!" Kaza blurted out. "That's why it's so precise! You must do surgery work!"

Měi had zero idea of what a doctor or a surgery was. Still, the girl before her seemed so happy to believe it. She genuinely wanted to take that title; in fact, she'd made up her mind to say "Yes!"

But before she could respond, her teeth clamped down upon her tongue.

Lying was treachery against this stranger and herself. Whatever sweetness It would bring her, its aftertaste would be unbearable.

"No."

"… Oh."

"…Then you've seen through me. Good."

Měi returned to her blueprint.

"I must work now."

"How'd you learn to draw so well?"

"I do not need your judgement. Just leave me-"

Měi paused.

"… Eh?"

"I've never seen anything so well-drawn!"

The tall Majin attentively leaned over the table, Měi shyly leaning back.

"Please! I wanna know!"

 _ **[BGM: Kenichiro Nishihara – Beautiful Things]**_

"W-well…"

And thus, the two began to talk.

"And I… over light strokes…"

"(How do I ask her to slow down!?)"

A lot.

"When I was a little girl, I would focus on art while alone. It gave me peace."

"You're not a little girl anymore?"

"Bù! I am 16! YOU ARE JUST VERY TALL!"

"Eh…! Sorry, I was just… confused…"

Like, way past the cafeteria clearing out.

"And I feel lost, I think. I am still learning this new language… I wish I could find someone who spoke the tongue of my world."

"Isolated."

"Aiso…?"

"That's the word. And I felt it too, when I found myself here. Actually, it's… all I knew for a while. I was always scared. But one day, this person came up to me, and… he made things a bit better."

"Like you did?"

"… I did?"

The conversation took turns, ups and downs as the two lost girls learned about each other. What the two felt comfortable with sharing about each other, anyway. Their only clear indication of the time which flew by was the reddish-orange rays of the setting star peeking through the window.

"Guāng yīn si jīan…" Měi quickly muttered under her breath, before grabbing her Saiyan bio-blueprint and attempting to make her way.

Kaza's face looked constipated.

"Er… are you ill?"

The tendrils comprising the large lass's hair writhed as she began shaking, her lips unwillingly sealed.

Suddenly, she bolted upward, eyes wide shut.

"I'M KAZA!"

The cafeteria rattled. Měi went flying.

"I WOULD LOV-LIKE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW YOUR NAME!"

Mei was still on the floor, deadpan expression gazing to the ceiling. The force of this bizarre woman's declaration alone had literally blown her away.

Kaza cautiously opened her eyes and immediately gave her best imitation of a tea kettle before rushing to the small, dagger-eyed human's aid.

"S-SORRY! I-I-I SHOULDN'T HAVE-"

"Měi."

Tears began streaming down her face as she smiled.

"Xiāo Měi."

 **Oh. I definitely didn't know that. Wooow, looks like I gave her the wrong name this entiiire time. I'm learning something new about this bunch every day, it seems... A-anyway…**

Kaza extended an arm.

"Why?" the young dark-redhead asked the fuchsia pink-tinted anomaly. Kaza smiled, took Měi's hand, closed her eyes as the two long tendrils coming down her forehead wiggled, and took a deep breath before slowly responding…

"Gūdú gan hěn kěpà."

The black garb which Měi donned really brought out the enlarged whites of her eyes.

* * *

"May I ask something of you, Kazz…za?"

"Of course!"

Měi looked to the violet night sky as the two strolled.

"You are strong. Vastly so. You could kill me at any time you choose, in fact."

"WHA-I'D NEVER EVEN THINK OF KILLING ANYONE!"

Kaza's reaction gave her a light snicker.

"I know. Your qi is pleasant, like a Spring breeze. Yet, it is crushing once it pours from you at once."

"I… I wish I could change that."

"Let us aid each other, then."

Kaza suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"There is a 'tournament' similar to the wushù battles held in my world. The rules differ, but the ends are the same; the strong will appear to prove themselves."

Měi faced her hand in disappointment. "My arts will take me only so far. They have only taken me so far. To reach my goal, I need strength."

The assassin met Kaza's gaze.

"Please. Help me become strong-"

"Sure!"

"GUH…!" Měi staggered at the sudden, enthusiastic response.

"What's wrong?"

"Bàoquàn, I just expected pause, that's all!"

"If I have the chance to help you, I will! That's what friends do, isn't it?" Kaza asked with a grin.

"But…" Měi realized how stupid she'd have to be to ruin both such an opportunity and a friendship. There was lying, and then there was actively convincing someone to hate you.

"Thank you… 'friend.'" Měi bowed her head and made her way to the grassy plateau she called home. "I will see you tomorrow?"

"Ni kě zi zhi wàng wo!" Kaza assured.

After a visible blush, a dark-red and waist-length ponytail fluttered and disappeared.

Kaza balled her fist, hopeful smile across her face.

"And maybe, I can change your mind…"

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain: Weight of My Pride]**_

* * *

 **Yo! OP here!**

 **Shào-XIĀO, _Xiāo_ Měi is hard as hell to write for. Pair that up with someone as awkward as Kaza and...**

 **This chapt** **er took more than a month. Shiiiit.**

 **At least I stayed away from Translate.**

 **But uh, yeah. This chapter's shorter than a lot of the others, more slow-paced as well, but I really wanted to establish these two parallel-opposites as training together. Will give way to further development and maybe, just maybe, some growth on Měi's part. Zinco's also gonna be working with our resident soft grill too, so that won't get complicated at all. But in all honesty, I'm really excited for the arc that comes after this; Voshyo's gonna be fun to work with and I've been doodling some designs for his clan's armor. I've also been blasting Sabaton recently, gave a lot of inspiration for his past. Yeah.**

 **On the topic of our definitely-not-chinese edgelord, I've been keeping up with some Chinese media lately. (I bet you have, too, whether you wanted to or not. Corona Chan 2020) During all that learning about cool Chinese history and shizz, I wound up learning about Scissor Seven. It's SPECTACULAR. Smoooth Chinese animation with that Bebop Champloo style of self-contained plots, and characters are pretty good, too. As we speak, I'm jamming to the vocal theme that plays in Episode 10. I'm not a Chineeaboo, I swear. No commies allowed and all that.**

 **What's next? No idea; not to say I don't have any ideas, just figuring out which one's next. Trust me, the pieces are coming together nicely. Here's to Iran waiting for me to finish my damn story before we end this long-awaited trilogy for good.**

 **Just kidding. We'll be alright. Somehow.**

 **That's about it. See ya.**


	24. The Saiyan Bonfire Reveals Herself!

_**[OP: My First Story – King and Ashley**_ ]

 **Dina, the Maternal Delinquent!? The Saiyan Bonfire Reveals Herself!**

* * *

 _"shh shh shhf!"_

It had been about 2 weeks since Dina began her training with D.I.A.N.A.

" _shh shh shh, tah…!"_

And she'd already moved to 30x gravity.

 _"shh shh shh shh hah!"_

She rapidly swayed her upper body side-to-side in a clash with her artificially-intelligent training dummy, jabbing rhythmically at D.I.A.N.A. and narrowly missing each time while the android did the same, both using their hips as centers of balance.

They'd been going at it for an hour now, homing in on two. Gradually, Dina began to nail a pattern and, with a burst of speed, actually caught the copycat unawares with a left hook.

"A hit!" she internally cheered, only realizing after a solid decking in the face that she had no further plan in store after "hit the robot." She shouted "Pie!" and D.I.A.N.A. stopped in its tracks.

"Why the sudden pause?" asked Ayeva from behind the glass-like fixture.

"Lost focus! Forgot to fo… follow up after a hit!" Dina sighed, heavily panting in between words. She spat out a thin gob of blood and rubbed her neck. "Hell with it… I think I'm done for today regardless."

With a nod, Ayeva reset the gravity, and the red hue about the chamber was lifted. The black spots around Dina's skin revealed themselves to be blood-red bruises. "Can finally breathe proper…" she muttered after a deep inhale before wincing in pain.

The exit doors slid apart, and she mozzied her way out with a vaguely-notable limp. "How's'at?"

"Better than ever. From a visual standpoint, your reaction speeds have spiked. Right now, even in 30x Earth's gravity, your speed dwarfs what I saw from you 2 weeks ago without a gravitational burden."

"Thanks, I try!" Dina giggled a bit before hissing in pain. "Really racing through this, eh? Like, who jumps this far ahead in such short time?"

"There's a man who jumped from 10x to 100x Earth's pull in a 3-day spanse."

"what."

"Still, those 3 days were filled with nothing but physical betterment. Drawing a comparison, he worked as hard in a day as you have in 12. Not to say you haven't been giving every 2 hours a maximum effort…"

Ayeva turned back to Dina scowling at her open palm. The latter quickly noticed the sudden pause.

"oh, yeah, just thought I'd count my fingers for a sec…"

The raven-haired patroller placed a hand on Dina's shoulder.

"Look. Don't just train hard, train smart. Or you'll stagnate. I've seen that bull-headed mentality hurt people before, you know."

"Kaset bloke?"

"One of two, but yes. Kaset bloke."

"Hah." Dina blew a bang from over her face. "Alright, I won't do anything stupid."

"Promise me."

"… wait, define stupid."

"You're getting the hang of x30. Rocketing off to anything over x35 would be infuriatingly stupid."

"Hmmm…"

"DINA."

"Yeah, yeah, I promise."

"Good. That makes this decision easier."

"wait what decisi-"

Ayeva went into her pocket and retrieved-

"A GATE!?"

"I'll be busy this week. Calculations Division is getting turbulent again, what with some new findings involving a few Saiyan transformations."

"Whaddoya mean a few-"

"Therefore, I won't be able to take you here so often. That will let you go from here to Conton and vice-versa. Just don't break anything you think I might care about, and you'll be able to improve yourself to your heart's content."

You know how a daughter'd attack her parents in a fit of love after being given the keys to a banging new ride?

"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU-"

That. That happened.

"Okay," Ayeva wheezed while trying to pry Dina off her, "Once you're done, let me show you how to operate everything…"

Dina immediately pounced off. "K!"

* * *

Dina learned how to precisely tune the gravity and adjust D.I.A.N.A's output before she spaced out. In any case, she was greeted by the morning sun upon returning to the city. She took note of how much less breathing hurt as she inhaled the crisp air or dawn and made her way to the school.

She passed the workhouse and immediately held that thought.

"Wonder if…"

At the time, through its transparent doors, it appeared empty. Though upon further inspection…

"Seriously…"

There he was.

Kazikum.

Ever since their initial encounter, Dina'd been paying him secret visits. Why?

For starters, he was tall, dark, half-naked constantly, and handsome; in her eyes, he put ancient western sculptures to shame. Plus, he trained like no tomorrow. Was entertaining to watch at worst and inspiring at best.

Nevertheless, this morning, he was fast asleep. Surrounded in a wet spot of (hopefully) sweat and dried blood (blood turns brownish after a while, right?) it was apparent that the uppity young man had worked himself to the point of exhaustion. Most notable, however, was the position in which he slept; it mirrored the fetal position. And he looked like he was shivering, despite weather conditions being as pleasant as they were.

Something about that tinged Dina's heart.

She let herself in and, slowly but surely, approached Kazikum.

Now that she had a closer look, he'd torn himself a new one for sure. Prevalent muscle tearing, bent and broken bones, dislocation, the works.

"That'd explain away the agonized face easily enough, but why the shiver-"

"Mo…m…"

Oh.

It was a nightmare.

"Poor boy" would've been the last thing she thought she'd ever say in regards to someone like him, and yet, that's what she found herself muttering. He couldn't've been much older than she was, in any case.

"You must be feeling so alone. Huh, big guy?" she whispered to herself, kneeling down.

With how hard he worked himself… was that the reason? His mom? She'd never had a mother figure in her life – her father found himself filling both roles – but she knew how much a parent meant. Not losing one, however. Never that.

And so…

She held him to her gently, slowly ruffling his hair.

"It'll be alright." She whispered near his ear.

The shivering slowly stopped. The agonized expression melted away into one of peace.

Dina smiled.

"Mo…"

His eyes slowly opened.

"MOTHERFUCKER!"

Dina zipped backward at light-speed. Hyperbole, of course; more in the field of sub-relativistic.

Kazikum bolted upward, promptly buckled under his weakened frame, and settled for all-fours in a rage.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" He roared, eyes searing.

Odd. Was that tinge of desperation always in his voice?

Whatever the case, Dina's fear slowly evaporated. She began approaching the bizarre, profane Saiyan once more, smug aura and all.

His growls seemed less and less like "I'm gonna tear out your bones and eat them" to "Stay away from me."

"My WORD, you look pathetic right about now. Can't even be bothered not to position yourself like a dog, eh?" she taunted.

"Watch your mouth, shitheap…!"

"Oy! You're the one with the potty-mouth, mister. Y'know that cursing does you no favors in the intimidation department, yeah?"

Dina rested her chin on a finger and grinned. She knelt down to his level.

"In fact, I think it's rather adorable. Especially from this angle. Like an angry little Chihuahua."

Kazikum had no idea what a Chihuahua was. Its name sounded stupid, however. Obvious insult.

"Why you…!"

The plasmatic arc around his neck suddenly crackled, causing a pained howl from the boy.

"What th-" Dina staggered back at the sight, blue light violently splashing across her face. "That's lunacy! And that just happens whenever?"

"Get… away… from me…" Kazikum snarled between his teeth.

Dina looked upon him one last time dejectedly. Her somber expression turned to what looked like a glare as she suddenly ran out the door.

"That's right you bi…" the young man briefly shifted into unconsciousness, unable to finish his final insult as his limbs gave way.

"Shit… move it you worthless…"

He struggled in vain to stand on his… anything… before the door to the workhouse slammed open. He gave his best growl.

"FUCK OFF-"

 _ **[BGM: Air Gear OST – Chain (Underwater Mix) (0:00 – 0:23)]**_

"Yo!" Dina sprung, cheerfully holding a plate of roasted meat that she definitely didn't steal.

"…"

"…"

"FUCK OFF!"

The half-breed rolled her ruby eyes. "So far-gone you've forgotten how to be excited, bloody…"

She sat the plate down in front of him. "You've got that nifty ability to fix yourself up with eating, yeah? Dig in, on who cares!"

Kazikum proceeded to open his mouth, clamp down, and _throw the food to the wayside._

"Eat shit and die."

Dina stared at the mess for a while, left to the side, came back with a garbage bin, and began to toss the food inside.

Kazikum suddenly chomped on the roast chunk in Dina's hand mid-toss.

 _ **[BGM: Dragon Ball Z OST – Droids vs Bikers (0:12)]**_

"WELL THAT WAS RIGHT POINTLESS OF YOU THEN, WASN'T IT, YA PRICK? FUCK'S SAKE MATE, YA WANNA BE A SODDING TODDLER OR A GOOD LITTLE DEVIL, EH? MAKE UP YA FUCKING MIND BEFORE I CAVE IN WHAT LITTLE'S LEFT OF IT, SHIT-FOR-BRAINS!"

"FUCK YOU, SHIT-MIDGET! I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE! NOT MY FAULT YOU CAN'T FUCKING LISTEN! COCKSUCKING LITTLE WEASEL! GO DIE!"

"EX-FUC-KIN'-CUUUUSE ME FOR WANTING TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING NICE, YOU 2-BIT MUPPET! HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A MIDGET? I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S FREAKISHLY TALL! KNOW WHAT? YOU CAN JUST ROT WHERE YOU LAY FOR ALL I CARE!"

"OFF YOURSELF, YOU FUCKING DOLL!"

"NECK YOURSELF, OVERGROWN KOALA!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"FUCK YOU!"

 **" " FUCK YOU! " "**

The two locked hate-filled eyes for a pain-staked moment, heavy breathing all the while.

 _ **[BGM: Air Gear OST – Chain (Underwater Mix) (1:47)]**_

Then, Dina laughed. Bangs covering her eyes as she broke put in fits of giggles. She raised a savory chunk of meat still attached to its bone.

"Just eat, love. Before I do, smells quite nice."

Kazikum stared at her for a bizarre amount of time before biting down on a roast chunk. The ruby-eyed half-breed had the treat of watching his regeneration as he slowly – and then moderately – and then quickly – ate what was before him.

"I think I'm starting to get you." She mumbled, prone.

"Shut up."

"See? No more M-rated slang."

"Fuck off."

Dina sighed.

"Was nice while it lasted."

The yellow-eyed half-spawn was nearly patched up now, yet he still laid on his stomach while he finished his meal. Dina took note of this, and…

"wELP-"

… after raising herself up (coming dangerously face-to-face with Kazikum in the process) began to make her way out.

"I suppose this'll become some sort of habit for me. In that case, we can work on decent etiquette next time. Won't that be nice?"

Munching.

"Yeah, yeah. In any case… happy training. Who knows, maybe we'll have our own brawl in this exam doohickey or whatever."

"I'd kill you."

"As if!"

With one last swing of the door, as the red-orange hue of the light shining through began to whiten…

"'Till then, cheers."

"Tch."

* * *

"Wonder if there's a way to get that dreadful piece of junk off him…" she pondered on her way to the Academy.

* * *

[ _ **BGM: Marcus D – Morning Light (0:22)]**_

 _Morning passed to noon in Conton City, as the star in the sky took position above the clouds. And alongside the rising of the sun, the ethereal city woke up._

 _For some, preparing for this exciting new exam took priority._

Archi swiveled his head in search of someone amidst the crowd, bacon sandwich still in his mouth, before finally making contact.

 _Who else to exemplify this but the Saiyan currently before you?_

A wrapped bacon sandwich flew through the air and toward the edge of the decorative plaza pond, clutched mid-flight by a young woman in black and green modernized Saiyan armor.

"You're late, Arch," said Kora, arms refolding her arms as her tail wagged impatiently.

"Overslept, wanted to add to my morning warm-up, delay in the breakfast line. Some ruckus about a 'lowlife good-for-nothing thief mooching off his culinary greatness.' Was a pain."

"Geez, all that was verbatim?"

"Hey, that guy's an amazing cook. I don't blame him. His understudy had to take over while he cooled down."

He took notice of her tail, still frantically swaying, and shifted the convo.

"Excited?"

"And terrified."

"No better combination!"

Kora sighed.

"You seem awfully cheery for someone still under the Captain, you know…" she said, taking a bite out of the sandwich.

"Mmh, jchust… chakin' things… mmhas they go…" Archi shrugged, swallowing. "Plus, we'll be crazy strong after all of this. And you'll still be a solid way ahead of your rival!"

"SHE. IS. NOT. MY. RIVAL."

"Then how'd you know who I was talking about?"

"Because you won't shut up about her, asshole."

"Come on, Kora, I've seen how you look at her with those fearsome eyes. She's really tearing herself up in order to reach you! If you're not careful, she could end up…"

"You should do comedy. Complete with the rotten food-pelting."

"That was lame."

"Shut up." Another, more aggressive bite. "Mrr…mesides…"

She devilishly grinned after swallowing.

"As long as I'm still able to stand, there's no way that spoiled half-breed princess will ever-"

 _ **[BGM: Sengoku BASARA OST – Fist ~ From the Worthy Tiger With Love (0:00 - 0:48) ~]**_

Kora was promptly sent flying.

 _ **"YOU FOOL!"**_

"C-CAPTAIN!?"

Where Kora once sat, a small, tailless woman with crazy spiked hair and off-putting normal clothing (over a much-older variant of Saiyan armor) stood, one foot atop the pond's edge. Somehow, her pupils were ablaze.

 _ **"YOU'D GO AS FAR AS TO HIDE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE GAINED A RIVAL FROM ME!? NOT ONLY, BUT YOU'D DARE UNDERMINE A CHALLENGER'S RESOLVE!?"**_ she boomed with a girly voice that rattled the heavens themselves.

 _ **"AND YOU…"**_ she slowly turned to a now-shaking Archi.

"I-I-I-I-"

 _ **"COMPLICITOUS SCOUNDREL!"**_ she roared, bashing Archi to the stars.

"My captain…" Kora staggered to her feet, fist balled, "with all due respect…"

She then began charging toward her shorter master.

"WHILE I ADMIT SHE HAS SPIRIT, IN MY EYES, SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE STRENGTH OR PRIDE TO BE MY RIVAL-"

 _ **"A FOOL-HEARTED EVALUATION!"** _The captain bellowed, taking the full brunt of Kora's punch unfazed before slamming her into the ground. _**"THE POWER OF YOUR RIVAL MAKES LITTLE DIFFERENCE! WHAT TRULY MATTERS IS THEIR HEARTS, WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE IN THE NAME OF SURPASSING YOU!"**_

"BUT…" Kora sprung from her hole in the ground, fist clenched, "UNDER YOUR INTENSE TRAINING, I'M POSITIVE THAT SHE STANDS NO CHANCE OF EVER CLOSING THE GAP BETWE-"

 _ **"INSOLENCE!"**_ Kora's master once more erupted, sending Kora screaming into the sky with a raised fist. _**"WITH SUCH A SHORT-SIGHTED THOUGHT PROCESS, IT'S NO WONDER YOU HAVE YET TO SURPASS ME! DEDICATION AND DISCIPLINE CAN TURN EVEN THE MOST MUNDANE FORMS OF TRAINING INTO RIGID FORTIFICATIONS OF THE BODY AND SPIRIT WHICH EXCEED THE MOST COMPLEX OF REGIMENTS!"**_

Other residents of Conton City gave concerned looks, met eyes of literal fireballs, and promptly looked away.

She waited, tapping her feet impatiently, until both Kora and Archi's screaming was audible to jump up and catch them. The sight of what could be mistaken for a middle-schooler catching the two Saiyans was something to behold.

"I'm sorry… Captain…" Kora winced. "I'm still below you…"

"Fool," she responded. "That goes without say. What truly matters is how you've dealt with this new challenger of yours. Such a phenomenon ought to be met with excitement, not resentment or condescension. Does your blood not boil at the thought of a bout between the two of you at your best?"

"Oh… it definitely boils when I think of her," Kora replied, her answer carrying notable hostility.

The captain placed Kora and Archi back to their feet.

"It sounds like there's more to this than I thought…"

"Yes. She's a Super Saiyan."

Kora's master took on a softer tone, aware of the legend's value to her student. "Is that so?"

"Even worse, she's nothing without it… but not long ago, after I found out first-hand…"

 _("AND IT'LL BE ON MY OWN! WITHOUT THIS STATE!")_

"… I won't doubt you for a second, captain. I have to keep getting stronger, or she really will surpass me. Even without transforming into a-"

 _ **[BGM: Sengoku BASARA OST – Fist~From the Worthy Tiger With Love~ (1:01)]**_

The captain turned Super Saiyan.

Kora flatlined for a second. "C-CAPTAIN!?"

 _ **"NOT GOOD ENOUGH! STRIVE TO SURPASS HER AT HER GREATEST! STRIVE TO PUSH THROUGH YOURSELF AND BECOME SOMETHING GRANDIOSE! STRIVE TO SURPASS SUPER SAIYAN AS YOU ARE!"**_

Kora began welling up, clenching her teeth as not to start wailing.

Useless.

"UNDERSTOOD, CAPTAIN TARUBEIGA!" she bawled.

 _ **"KORA!"**_

"CAPTAIN TARUBEIGA!"

 _ **"KORA!"**_

"CAPTAIN TARUBEIGA!"

 _ **"KORA!"**_

"Hey can y'all shut the fuck up over there?" yelled a Saiyan from across Conton City. "Trying to record something for my girl."

 _ **"…!"**_

 _ **"…!"**_

"Know what? You right, it ain't even that serious. Proceed."

Archi stood up.

"CAPTAIN, I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! LET'S TRAIN ALREADY BEFORE I COMBUST!" He exclaimed, fighting spirit at an all-time high as well.

Tarubei nodded, cooling herself off. "Well put, Archi!" The two ran off to He find an ideal stagnant timespace. As for Kora…

"Surpass a Super Saiyan as I am now… that must be the last thing you ever expected of me. Right, Father?"

She grinned, running to catch up with her master and Archi.

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pride]**_

"Well, I'll do it. If nothing else, just to find out if I can."

* * *

 **Yo! OP here!**

 **Kazikum's mentally broke ass is finna get my T rating slapped. Not like sophomores are already out here cursing more than adults, but still. On my toes.**

 **Look at that, I didn't wait an entire month again to update! Miraculous!**

 **So that's this chapter. Kora's gonna focus on getting stronger than Dina's SSJ state, while Dina's still training to surpass Kora, so Kora's naturally gonna make Dina's goal that much more hellish. Soon, during an accident that results in her being driven to unveil some of her past, she'll focus on surpassing herself. It's THAT that'll get her on Kora's letter. Speaking of, her mentor was revealed this chapter. I took a generic anime girl and gave her Takeda Shingen's personality because that shkt's funny. (Shkt. Huh. Imma keep that. Happy accident.) Yeah, that's obviously not ALL she has as a character. I'll somewhat flesh Tarubaga out as the story goes, subtle manners or otherwise. Things of note: General before she died, Universe 6, Ancient era of warring states.**

 **I've also opened my eyes to the fact that this fic is Great Value Drifters. That's a dope ass show I just picked up, and this interpretation of Shimazu Toyohisa's a great character. Like a slightly darker Sanada Yukimura, even the same kote and pantswear.**

 **One more thing. I've finally nailed a concept for a Namekian character in the main cast. He and Kazikum'll develop a solid bond if things go as planned, and you'll likely see next chapter. Tune in for that reveal this 2030!**

 **Yeah. Gonna right some wrongs that I noticed in earlier chapters and work on the next. Be safe, be good, be free.**

 **That's about it. See ya.**


	25. Two Fools Who Recklessly Pursue Power!

_**[OP: My First Story – King and Ashley]**_

 **The Drive To Grow Strong! 2 Fools Who Recklessly Pursue Power!**

* * *

 _ **[BGM: Scott R. Morgan – Resurrection]**_

What drives one to be strong?

For many in Conton City, it was weakness.

An inescapable lack of power; a slip-up at the last moment; a failure to play their part, resulting in the death of others.

Not many, however, are driven by betrayal.

"W-wh…?"

An ebony-haired Saiyan child croaked by the body of his mother. Tears flowed freely as his yellow eyes contorted in shock.

"Why…?"

His legs turned to jello. He crumpled by the corpse's side, still unable to comprehend what'd happened. Or why it happened so abruptly.

 _"It's just our nature. She bored me, so she died."_ He vaguely remembered the male figure he'd admired for so long taunt, before so casually walking up to him. Before everything went black…

"And what's worse? You just stood there and let me."

"What A shame. That I raised such a pissant."

None of it made sense.

"Why?"

He balled his fist, tight enough to spew blood.

It hurt. Everything hurt.

"Why…!"

An overwhelming monsoon of emotion overtook him.

Above all others, however, the most prevalent emotion of all, one which served as a terrifying trademark for both his bloodlines…

"Why, why, why why why wH-WH-WHR-R-R-R-R-"

Rage.

 _ **[RAAA~!]**_

The dingy warrior planet shook. Tectonic plates gave way or quivered. The red sky wept.

A screeching – a confused, terrified, abandoned, enraged child's ghastly screeching – pierced the planet's populace.

His mom, gone.

His dad, gone.

He'd never know why.

And so, a rage consumed the boy for more than a decade. In turn, it consumed the planet he once inhabited. Destruction became his source of survival; experience, his only source of education. He eradicated those in the way – willingly and unwillingly alike – of his warpath, the few innocents inhabiting the planet buried in the crossfire. All in search of "that man…"

So, why was he here?

No, not in Conton City.

* * *

Outside the workhouse?

"… FUCK!"

Someone'd dragged him out while he was sleeping.

This very-much so angered the Kazikum.

He made it a point to burst through the door and hit a wall soon after.

"Yep, had a feeling you'd come running back." The "wall" said, annoyed.

Kazikum violently shook away the 2 low-hanging giant grey bangs polluting his sight. "You son of a bitch, who do you think you are!?" he snarled in response.

"Look, kid, I get it. We all wanna grow up big and strong, but frankly, you're too much of a distraction to your peers. The snarling, the screeching, the threats, and especially the stench-do you even know what a bath is, guy? You smell like a corpse!"

"I'LL BATH YOUR HEAD OFF YOUR TORSO, BEEFCAKE! LET ME THROUGH!" Kazikum proceeded to attempt to climb the colossal figure guarding the workhouse entrance. Casual swats stopped him from getting over the shoulders.

"Stop that."

"!"

"This isn't getting anyone anywhere."

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH OR I'LL SHOVE MY FOOT DOWN IT!"

"… wait a minute… if this keeps up, I'm gonna end up smelling like you-OK BUDDY THAT DOES IT!"

"I'LL DO YOU-"

"Take a HIKE!" The muscle-bound big boy bellowed before sending Kazikum soaring with a boot to the behind. Soon after, he took a whiff of himself to confirm a suspicion.

He slowly teared up before squealing and sprinting toward the nearest shower.

"-AAAAAAAAAAAH-"

Kazikum slowly rose to his feet after slamming into a scaffolding and falling a few stories. He wobbled a fair bit, from a combination of rage and a slight concussion, before regaining his bearings.

"That veiny fucker…" he growled, one hand over the bloody patch on his head, and the other balled. "Once I see him again, I'm gonna…"

The half-spawn violently shook his head. "Bullshit! Bastard isn't worth my time!"

Despite his nauseating fury, his mind was still firmly set on one goal.

 _ **[BGM: Devil May Cry OST – Lock and Load]**_

"I've gotta get stronger!"

Instantly, he took off in a sprint, the first method of attaining strength he could think of. He shot through the city like bat out of hell, clearing miles in seconds. In all honesty, the rest was child's play to all but the greenest of Conton's residents. No, what mattered was how long he maintained that exact same speed. With a manic scowl plastered across his face, he maintained his supersonic velocity for hours, flinging himself forward every time he wavered. Driven exclusively by wrath and a lust for power, his legs gave in without warning (pain doesn't count, shut up) around the 6th hour, causing him to slide across the grass cliff-side now he found himself on.

After what felt like an eternity of panting on the ground, he moved on to push-ups, considering he had to fall back on his arms. Thousands flew by, every ounce of pain instantly replaced with more searing existential ire as he tirelessly bore and lifted his own gravity. It reached the point where his arms became useless red bags of bone and strained lumps of flesh.

And so, he turned into his back and moved to sit-ups.

Kazikum stopped his crazed pursuit of power when he physically could not anymore. When every muscle in his body was sore beyond belief, when the pain reached a point where it could no longer be ignored.

 _ **[BGM: Kenichiro Nishihara – Our Love]**_

And he hated it. Having to stop. He had no choice but to gaze into the dimming sky above, his yellow eyes glaring into the otherwise-beautiful void, left alone with his contempt.

He was getting stronger, but at a piss-poor rate. None of this was enough to face that bastard. How'd he know?

Last time he tried, he died.

"Fuck…"

Black.

* * *

New day, new session of schoolage. Despite the seemingly-frivolous routine that only subtracted from key training time, there were lessons to be learned yet.

And school time was decreased to, like, 4 hours due to the oncoming exam, so that was pretty solid too. Hey, Conton knows how to run a school proper.

 **DING!**

"Salutations, soon-to-be patrollers!" Stroga enthusiastically greeted.

3 out of the fully-stocked class greeted the professor back.

"Now, from the look and sound of it, you all've been hard at work preparing for the oncoming exam!"

"You mean tournament?"

"Another way of looking at it, yes!"

"Is it gonna be a tournament or not? Seriously dude I'm gonna Chiaotzu myself if this was all a dud don't push me I'll do it-"

"R-est assured, class," Stroga chuckled, caught off-guard by the previous ststement, "There WILL be a tournament-styled brawl, you'll be able to fight to your heart's content, etcetera etcetera! Speaking of such… I've deemed it fit to allow occasional seminars with iconic fighters of the past!"

Those who weren't already quiet suddenly simmered down.

"I see I have your attention! Good, because my first guest will be temporarily taking over, in order to test the waters of this new system of mine! For my sake, I hope you don't get TOO attached, or I very well may be out of a job!"

Nobody laughed. A guy began coughing at a disturbingly-high pitch and pace, if that counts.

"holy shit dude you good-"

"Without further ado, give a warm welcome for your voluntary teacher!"

A small bald man in a white suit moonwalked to the stand from the left. He flicked off his white trilby and, after snatching it out of the air with grace, revealed himself.

"Krillin's in the House! How's it banging, dudes and dudettes!?" He proudly declared.

"…"

"…"

"…nNOOO-"

It was a fear tsunami. People began wailing. Some of the more dire cases began "banging" their heads onto their desks.

"DON'T LEAVE US WITH HIM!"

"I LOVE YOU, STROGA, YOU'RE LIKE THE DAD THAT DIDN'T BEAT ME!"

"THAT'S IT, I'VE HAD IT, I'M GONNA FUCKING DO IT, DON'T TRY TO STOP ME!"

"NO-NOSE! NO-NOSE! FROM THE PITS OF HELL, HE ROSE! NO-NOSE-"

"I, uh…. Think we got off on the wrong foot…" Krillin bashfully scratched his head.

"They've already began singing folktales about you," added Stroga, crossing his arms half-impressed before shrugging. "A rowdy bunch, but they respect self-respect from my experience. Word of advice: drop the forced relatability."

"But I spent five hours working on that moonwalk-"

"I spent five days on my initial introduction. Trust me, just take the fall with grace and be yourself."

Stroga took his leave, one last wink giving the mini-monk the boost he needed to carry on. He took a deep breath and…

"… OK, guys, let's just pretend that last disaster never happened, alright?"

"No." It didn't matter who said it, the class seemed to agree.

"Then, uh, can we at least give this another try?"

The class transitioned into a public discussion; or rather, a slightly-more casual court case. They seemed to come to a unanimous decision as it quieted down.

"You get ONE MORE CHANCE, Baldy!" answered a tailed athletic girl in a black-green vestlike Saiyan armor.

"I don't remember agreeing to that, ya self-righteous zit!" replied a smaller, athletic blue-red shirted girl with a somewhat-elegant accent.

"OH, SHUT UP, HALF-WIT!"

"MAKE ME, SLAG QUEEN!"

"Man will y'all shut the fuck up?"

"I-"

"I-"

"Let him talk already, jeez. No one cares."

Krillin smiled. "Ahem."

"Chances are, you know me by now, but I'm Krillin. I'm a martial artist, trained under the great Turtle Hermit alongside a certain Son Goku-"

The class erupted into clapping.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get TOO excited now. Anyway, I've fought in just about every major battle in the main timeline, so I'm positive that, with my skill and combat experience, you'll leave with at least something that you didn't know about battle beforehand!"

"Yeah, experience in sucking, maybe!" a tall Saiyan in a red bodysuit taunted. "Tell us how many times you died again, shortstack!"

"Oh, so we've got a wise-guy, do we? Look, brat, I'm no Saiyan, but I've got enough skill under my belt to know that can hold my own just fine in a fight, regardless of … my streak…"

"YEAH, RIGHT! YOU'VE GOT MORE LOSSES THAN YOU DO HAIRS ON YOUR HEAD, COWARD!"

Krillin popped off.

"Alright, I may be a lot of things, but COWARD isn't one of them! So why don't you stay behind that desk, you walking stop-sign!"

A good-enough portion of the class reacted to Krillin's insult that this familiar tall Saiyan felt pressured to quickly retort. He did it a bit too quick.

"YEAH well… you're bald…"

"I'D RATHER BE BALD THAN HAVE TO LIVE WITH WHATEVER **THAT** IS STUCK TO MY HEAD!"

"…"

"oOOOO-"

"OH, FUCK!"

"BLIMEY!"

"GET 'EM!"

"Cào nǐ mā, Hòuguǐ!"

"I'VE VAGUE UNDERSTANDING OF SUCH WORDS, BUT I'M INCLINED TO CONCUR!"

"W-w-well, uh-"

"Please, just… give it a rest, Archi…" moaned the prior-mentioned black-green armored Saiyan, seeking shelter in the center of her palms.

* * *

The commotion could be heard from outside.

Stroga shook his head with a smile.

"Sounds like he took my advice… good on you, Krillin."

The shuffling noise of fabric being dragged drew his attention. Upon inspection…

"Oh! Hello, Wabi!"

 _ **[BGM: Baki the Grappler OST –** **Dearest** **]**_

A tall, lime-colored Namekian suddenly stopped in his tracks, subtly catching quick breaths with an iron grip on his backpack full of… things.

"H.. hey, professor…" he greeted back, light on breath.

"So, how are you doing? Find anything you're interested in pursuing yet?"

"… yeah."

"?"

"Ajisa. I'm gonna plant ajisa." Wabi's eyes briefly darted side-to-side.

"A marvelous choice, for someone of your talents! Though I'd've suggested a spot in the Medical Department, I'm positive that you'll find fulfillment in agriculture nonetheless! You know, as a youngling, I…"

As Stroga went on a nostalgia-guided tangent, Wabi's eyes wondered to the direction of a distant path. He pursed his lips before gritting his teeth and righting his backpack.

"-why I have trust issues involving those feathered bastards to this day! Um, Wabi?"

"Ergh… gy-UH-HUH?"

"The ajisa patches are that way. And I'll gladly help you with your things, it's a long trip from here, after all." Stroga was growing suspicious.

"I'M… FINE, REALLY. THANKS IN ADVANCE, HEH!" the brown-robed Namekian graduate grinned, resuming his grueling drag.

"It'll take you all day at that pace…"

"Don't worry, morning's still young! I've got time!"

Stroga shrugged, huffing dejectedly. "Alright, I've held you long enough. I'll be on my way."

"Have a good day, professor!" Wabi waved goodbye as Stroga took off.

"(Still as unswayable as ever, that boy. Still, glad to see he's found something that suits him.)"

"(If he hadn't graduated before this year…)"

Stroga's expression turned melancholy.

* * *

His eyes threatened to bulge out the sockets as his bag, and then Wabi himself, thud onto the grass. This was always an arduous journey, but it beat risking a scene at the workhouse. He had a wheezing fit before picking himself up and opening the knapsack.

Out spilled dozens of capsules, painkillers, and 2 dumbbells.

"Alright…" he took out 3 before dropping his robe, revealing a deep-blue and white gi held by a tight brown belt. With balled fists, a deep exhale, and a scowl, he popped a capsule and approached a beginner's sparbag; basically a sandbag, albeit made with much more resilient material able to take what the average patroller could dish out.

He took a stance and struck it.

Hardly any movement.

He struck it again.

Nothing.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

His movements showed no haste. His punches and kicks were textbook, with flawless use of movement and visibly-honed skill.

Yet after 10 minutes of ruthlessly hammering down with everything he had, to the point at which his fists bled and his lower legs bent out of shape, he'd failed to ever make it move more than a few centimeters back. Even with the painkillers, he was racked in hellish agony.

"I saw it… just a bit further back than last time…" he assured himself, weakly smiling under the pain. He started concentrating.

All of a sudden, his bleeding and broken joints seemingly mended themselves, good-as-new in seconds. Though it did nothing to soothe the pain, his body was once more in perfect condition.

"I just need to keep pushing it a bit further… I'll get there."

He moved on to the weights. After a few clicks, he registered them to output 5 tons-worth of isolated gravity; an overly-complex way of saying that he set them to weigh 5 tons. Conton City tech was sweet like that. Posturing himself, he attempted to curl one arm.

"Just a bit further…"

His forearm inched upward at a painfully-grueling pace.

"Just a… bit…"

He could feel muscle tearing, bone splintering.

"Come… on…!"

Finally, after such strenuous effort…

"GRA~AAH!"

His arm broke.

He collapsed onto the floor, clutching his broken appendage and screaming uncontrollably. Screams became pathetic mutters as huffed panicked breaths.

"… DAMN IT!" he cursed between his teeth. "WHY WON'T I CHANGE?"

"DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!" he cried, tears gradually welling.

He knelt down for a while, his will fading.

"Why try…" he mumbled from a mouth which couldn't be bothered to open any more than a bit.

His apathetic expression sharpened. He held his torn arm. It mended in a wave of light.

He turned to the pile of capsules, sighing.

"All I can do is better."

* * *

Animalistic screeching that wasn't his. Unusual way for Kazikum to wake up, but an effective alarm clock nonetheless.

"SHIT!" he hissed, still sore and injured from yesterday, as always.

"Who's there?" a light male voice anxiously blurted.

"Why? You wanna die?" he replied with class.

He struggled to his feet, finding a tall, lanky-muscled green man with 2 bug thingies on his forehead and stupid weak eyes near a host of equipment from that one room that big veiny bastard wouldn't let him get to. That's all he got before he fell again.

"What in the what happened to you?" Wabi asked wide-eyed, hobbling over with a limp.

"(How didn't I notice him before?) I've got you, just lay still."

"FUCK OFF!" he roared from the ground in useless defiance, as was natural for him.

Wabi jumped back, spitting sudden word spaghetti all the while.

"C-COME ON! I just want to help!"

"If you think you're gonna carry me down, forget it! I'll gnaw your fucking head off before I let you!"

"No way! I can heal… decently, I guess. All I need to do is touch you! That's all I'm going to do!"

Nothing indicated a lie.

"…"

Wabi expressed extreme caution approaching the razor-toothed Saiyan. Even more so when actually moving in to touch him, despite the arc around his neck.

.

.

.

.

 _ **RAAH!**_

Wabi's soul briefly attempted to escape.

When that failed, he shrieked and fell flat on his ass, Kazikum howling with laughter.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" the long-eared weakling shrilly reprimanded, before storming off.

"Hey, dipshit! You forgot something!"

"Forget about it, you bastard!" Wabi yelled from a significantly farther distance.

"C'mon, pussy! Do it!"

"You think insulting me will convince me to help you?"

"FUCK YOU! HEAL ME, IF YOU EVEN CAN!"

Wabi began to utilize one of Sun Tzu's many insightful arts of war: ignoring the meaniehead until he went bye-bye. In the meanwhile, he opened up a hefty novel and a notebook, studying methods of attaining a higher power amidst the incessant barking.

With every page turned, he became more perturbed; every method listed, every technique and form of meditation he'd tried already… it started angering him. To the point where he could just-

"Mrph."

Kazikum bit down onto the book.

"…"

"…"

"HOW THE HOWING HOW DID YOU EVEN GET HERE!?"

Judging by the grass and dirt patches coating his tongue, he had his answer.

"Fix me, bitch." He nonchalantly groaned after swallowing.

"(You need a lot more than a physical fix…) Fine, if it'll make you go away!"

Owning up to his power, Wabi rested his hand upon the half-spawn and, after a pulse of blue light, neatly healed him.

"There, now leave me alone."

Like a good little devil, the initially-bewildered Kazikum rose to his feet and immediately strolled over to Wabi's wacky workout wonders.

"WHAT-NO-I SAID LEAVE!"

"This is mine now. Fuck you," the grey-haired boy stated in a matter-of-fact way, before picking up the dumbbell currently set to 3 tons like it were a toothpick.

"Hell's this?"

"THAT'S EXPENSIVE! PUT IT DOWN!"

He looked upon the weight's side spotted a button, pushed the button, and saw a number raise. Out of curiosity, he pressed it more, noticing a faint pressure on his arm.

"Hey…" Wabi muttered in curiosity, looking over Kazi's shoulder.

The latter caught on quick.

"GRRRRGH…"

"Slow down a bit, you're going too high…"

Kazikum was currently tapping at very high speeds, intensely glaring all the while.

"RRRAAAAAH-"

"OH MY KAMI...!"

Kazikum was currently tapping at mach speeds.

 _ **[BGM: Budokai Tenkaichi OST** **–** **Dueling (0:21-0:38)]**_

His arm suddenly fell to the ground, grass flying through the air as a crater formed beneath it.

The cap: 1000 tons.

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" he cackled, eyes dilating as he grinned like a psycho, giving his all to lift the weight.

"This guy…" Wabi muttered in amazement, the split-tailed Saiyan actually beginning to raise the mammoth weight. Judging by his rampant cackles, Kazikum was satisfied with the results as well, his arm now at a 90° angle with tightly-clenched kiloton in hand. Just as it seemed he'd done it…

"Shit, my arm broke!" Kazikum yelled, more aggravated than pained.

"HOW DOES YOUR BODY HAVE THAT MUCH BLOOD!?"

"QUIT YER' BITCHING AND FIX IT!"

Wabi sighed and smacked Kazikum's grisly injury; it vanished as if it never occurred.

"How do you pull that off!?"

He shrugged. "I just can, always could."

Good enough for the half-spawn. He hunched over and violently threw his hand toward the fallen dumbbell, devilishly smirking all the way.

Before he could take another swing at breaking his arm for power's sake, the weight at his feet exploded in a poor of smoke, a small capsule left in its place.

He froze mid-motion. He proceeded to begin uncontrollably shaking.

Before he could tear apart spacetime with a spazz-out, Wabi's hand scooped up the capsule. "You're one weird guy. Almost as much as you are also a dick," he scolded, bursting his other various training machines into similar pill-shaped contraptions and piling them up into his knapsack and re-robing himself.

"Where are you going!? I'm not done yet!" Kazikum snarled after watching the magic man turn the big things into small things.

"That's your problem. I still have to… help with the a…jisa…!" responded Wabi through his teeth with a hint of ill will, as he began the long drag to the other side of the city. "Besides… you pretty much… sabotaged my day, so… yeah, good riddance!"

Kazikum watched with a scowl as the lanky Namekian began his long drag home.

… Impatiently watched.

… Angrily watched…

 _ **[BGM: Mass of Fermenting Dregs** **–** **After This Speed]**_

"..gRAAAAH!"

With no warning but his sudden outburst, he lunged toward the bag of Very Important Things and ensnared it within his grasp, to Wabi's intense distress.

"-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE-"

"YOU'RE TAKING TOO FUCKING LONG, WEAK SHITSACK!" Kazikum yelled. "WHERE TO!"

Wabi's face contorted in a concoction of confusion and offense.

"WHAT?" the bizarre shirtless teen roared.

"… Across this side, over to the village with the blue grass."

"…"

"Where you going now?"

After a brief backward start-up…

Kazikum _jumped the distance toward the destination,_ bag in one hand and weird weak magic man in the other. One of them screaming all the way.

Probably the bag.

Could bags scream?

Who cares.

* * *

An odd day yesterday. Or terrifying. Or exhilarating. Any of them would work.

He couldn't get that deranged Saiyan from yesterday out of his mind. Or why he'd decided to lend a hand after all that mockery and pestering.

Regardless, Wabi finished his daily trudge to the grassy cliff-side. He dropped off his things, knelt down to catch his breath, stood back up and-

"What the fuck took you so long?" a certain deranged Saiyan grinned in inverted pushup position.

The robed Namekian's terrified expression spoke for him.

Still… what if this callous, stubborn asshole could help _himself_ go higher, as well?

Most importantly... would it even be worth the effort to try?

 ** _[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pride]_**

* * *

 **Yo! OP Here!**

 **Yeah, that was the intro of the 3rd member of the 3rd team I'm working on! (Briefly scrapped the idea of this dude all-together, just happened to get struck by inspiration on the way to school and expanded from there.) Wabi's gonna be the glue that holds the team together, I'll just say that. Tragedy behind him is that he physically cannot get stronger, and despite having a gift in a certain field, he doesn't care about it and only wants to be stronger. But he can't. Is that saying too much? Dunno.**

 **So now that he exists, what'll this mean for Dina? Answer: Not much, Kazikum still thinks food's yummy and he'll stop by to get fed like some stray Chihuahua. Maybe Dina and Wabi'll wind up getting along, considering their shared associate. In any case, both will help flesh Edgelord Supreme out. It'll be a fun dynamic to see.**

 **In that case, there's ONE MORE character that I gotta establish training for - from there, it's brief character development/growth, and it's off to finish this arc with a BANG. You can probably guess who he is; young, blonde, can and will not annihilate you in 500 different ways, Kaza simps over him? I'll use next chapter to establish his ambition, as well. Hint: I've decided to use Tokugawa Ieyasu as inspiration for some of his traits. Basara Ieyasu, not the real one that didn't punch things. Not punching things is boring and dumb :(.**

 **Fetty Krill's taking up the teacher mantle for a minute. Why? Dunno, just wanna use him and flesh him out as a human. Why not, Krillin's fun.**

 **Mass of Fermenting Dregs is pretty sick. I started listening to them while editing the story (and as I type this) and their sound is that gud late 00s-early 2010s rock shit that I was raised by and need to live. Support 'em.**

 **What else, hmm... Kengan Omega is great. Koga's becoming a favorite of mine, seeing as he's a lot more green than Ohms was, and he's working his way to the top with nothing to go off of. Speaking of Omega, spoilers down below for it and Asura. If you don't wanna be spoiled, now's your chance to skidattle. Stay safe and peace out, in that case.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **You still here?**

 **Aight.**

 **OHMA CAME BACK BABYYYY!**

 **MY NI- MY BOY OHMA DEADASS CAME BACK FROM THE GRAVE ON SOME BIBLICAL SHIT! WHOEVER USED THE DRAGON BALLS ON THE HOMIE, THANK YOU!**

 **LES' GOOOOOOO!**

 **Hah.**

 **Hah.**

 **Hooh.**

 **Alright, that's about it. Stuff's getting turbulent outside, y'know, so stay safe, keep your humanity, and maintain a clear head. You're loved, and I'm glad you're here.**

 **Till next time, See ya.**


	26. Collision of Impossible Dreams!

_**[OP: My First Story – King and Ashley]**_

 **The Collision of Impossible Dreams! A United Universe, A Universe Drenched in Saiyan Blood!**

* * *

He hated darkness.

Darkness meant that he'd find himself in that cave again.

The cave that smelled horrible. Like something rotting.

Where the only light was a faint red streak piercing through a crevice he couldn't see. Shifting about. Watching him.

Soon – he didn't know exactly when, but soon – something big would fall from the ceiling. He'd reach out and catch it every time.

It hurt to hold it. Its weight tore up his arms. The stench from before was now ten-fold. Most of all, it flooded his mind with doubt, with regret and grief.

With guilt.

Yet he kept holding it. He'd hold it atop his head, despite the weight. He couldn't let go yet.

Just a bit longer.

At least until this dream ended.

That's what this was, right?

Just a dream.

"-nco!"

"-inco!"

"ZINCO!"

The blonde-haired boy slowly opened his eyes. By his side knelt his teary-eyed companion, Kaza. He smiled.

"Yo."

He was then crushed in a tackle hug.

"You-were-making-scary-noises-and-I got-scared-that-you-wouldn't-wake up-and…" she sobbed between sniffles… despite how she lacked a nose.

"SORRY ABOUT THAT… BUT CAN YOU SQUEEZE A BIT LESS HARD?" he wheezed. "I CAN'T BREATHE."

Kaza quickly released, allowing Zinco to take in a deep breath.

"Hehe, it hurts to breathe now!" he curiously noted, causing Kaza to quickly drop him to the floor in a panic.

"Ow."

Kaza briefly introduced him to steampunk-rock in a fit of shame.

Though it didn't seem it, Kaza was assisting with two fighters' grueling training regimens. Why? Simply put, she met one first.

* * *

[ 3 WEEKS EARLIER ]

"Sorry, but I have to go train now. See you to-"

"I CAN HELP!" Kaza blurted in excitement, crushing her 50th Kroukai bar in her hand in the process.

"I can't. If I spar with you, that'd mean I could hurt someone else-"

"I CAN HELP IN OTHER WAYS!" Kaza yelled again, hovering over Zinco.

"OOH! THAT'S PERFECT!" Zinco yelled back, subconsciously challenging her hyperactivity levels.

"YES!"

"LET'S GO TRAIN!"

"YES!"

* * *

[ PRESENT DAY, PRESENT TIME ]

To put it bluntly, Kaza's been on double duty ever since.

Měi's training, she'd learned, consisted of 3 hours of intense meditation – which Kaza accompanied (usually too confused and anxious to properly meditate) – an hour of stretching (She could make the most skilled ballet practitioners looked like brittle-boned fossils by the time she finished), 2 hours of practicing picture-perfect form and fierce body conditioning by her lonesome, and – this was the important part – at least 2 hours of sparring with Kaza. Considering the academy opened its doors at 8:00 AM and ended at 12:00 PM, and she usually begin at around 12:15 or so (the time where she determined the sun was at its highest point in the sky), this gave her about 3 hours to spend with Zinco.

She'd usually walk in on Zinco in the same meditation that hopelessly confused her, breathing in a manner she'd rarely seen; his abdomen expanded as he breathed, air filling his lungs to the brim before it left in a contracted release through pursed lips. Even more, he usually had a calming aura accompanying him while he meditated; as if he were wearing a cloud.

This was the first time she'd seen him in that state of unease. Yet he just as easily brushed it aside, unaffected by whatever he'd seen.

"Alright! Let's start!" Zinco energetically bounded to his feet after stretching and tightening his belt.

"Right!"

It wasn't long before the two entered a room. It WAS Zinco's closet, an already incredibly-sizeable addition to every apartment in Conton City, but Zinco took the liberty of modifying it to suit his own needs.

That is to say, he mistook it for a training room and broke down the walls around it until it was large enough for his tastes. If not for Kaza's assistance in renovating the place – repairing walls after Zinco was done bulldozing them – someone would've most certainly noticed.

A special boy, he is.

"'Kay…" Zinco pulled from a corner a large pot of grounded rock. And thus, Zinco's training regimen began.

 _ **[BGM: Baki the Grappler OST – Road to Victory]**_

He began harshly driving his hands palm-first into the rock. For 30 minutes, he repeated this.

Yet he performed more of these motions in this seemingly-frivolous expanse of time than the average martial artist could do over the course of a day. His expression would shift from determined, to gritting, to pain-wracked, and then to that of Zen as he continued to strike the grounded rock. All the while, he took sharp breaths.

Once he was finished, his hands were red all-over. His palms were worse off. Kaza still hadn't gotten over the grisly process, as Zinco could see from her teary eyes.

"Sorry…" he grinned, before his expression hardened once more. "Kaza, can you…"

"Y-yes…" the ground lit up with small rings in sporadic patterns.

"You can do it, Zinco!" Kaza cheered as Zinco postured himself low. His abdomen raised as high as it could.

" 'Kay…!"

The next exercise began.

Air shot out from within him as he dashed between the rings like a bolt of lightning, passing through each in a single movement. His eyes were forward, gazing ahead and fearless of what lied below him. He cleared the room in a second, his feet not once straying outside or even touching the rims of the rings.

"Hoooo…."

He brought down his left foot slowly, exhaling as his abdomen seemed to deflate.

"Now… uh… what comes before…" he looked over to Kaza with a lost look on his face.

"199 MORE!"

"RIGHT!" he bashfully replied.

"Don't worry! Just get to 70, and we'll go from there!"

"OSU! THANK YOU!" He roared. Kaza grinned.

After 200 runs, and 185 successful runs… and 20 instances of Zinco losing track of how many he'd done… the next trial began.

Zinco pressed his hands together near his center-mass, taking a deep abdominal breath, and summoning twin orbs of ki. Kaza formed a ring around him, a meter in circumference. A bead of sweat dropped from the tailed boy before he exhaled, slowly driving his fists outward and opening two determined eyes of emerald.

" 'Kay."

The balls were willed onto him, relentlessly bolting toward his hide. Zinco weaved formlessly through them, confined to a meter's worth of space. Every half-minute, they'd get faster; Zinco focused on quick exhales upon a dodge, and quick intakes whenever levity was granted to him. Still…

"Gngh…!" he hissed as an orb zipped past him, close enough to singe his arm and dent his balance.

"Just a bit further…"

The second orb zoomed in to finish the job, only for Zinco's upper half to go completely limp and sink into the ground, his hips holding him upward. He snapped back upright in time to butterfly-kick through the narrow space which the twin orbs offered him as they shot past in a final erratic effort to catch the boy unawares.

The next time they rocketed toward him, he took a full breath through the nose before shouting in a burst of spirit, holding position and stopping the orbs completely with outstretched palms.

"Shaaaaa…."

They shrank. He'd given it his all for more than half an hour.

"Kaza?" He glanced over to his pal in order to start his next exercise.

One problem.

Kaza had gone catatonic.

"K…Kaza?"

* * *

"You don't need to say sorry so much, you know? One sorry is the one that matters most!" he said cheerfully after Kaza saying nothing but the phrase for minutes on end now. "Also, I couldn't say my sorry because you were saying yours a lot."

Kaza had to stop herself from apologizing. She was then handed the two, now penny-sized ki orbs by Zinco.

"Can you…"

Kaza nodded before concentrating, the two elongated tendrils coming down her forehead wiggling all the while. Before long, she threw them outward.

Two gleaming, humanoid entities landed in their place.

Kaza'd discovered this ability of hers through a desire to help Zinco spar without harming anyone. Despite their origins, they could punch and move like any other combatant.

And much to Kaza's dismay, Zinco planned on taking them both on, simultaneously.

He confidently nodded at her, signaling to begin. He took a breath, puffing his cheeks like a puffer fish would puff. Puffily.

And, reluctantly, his tendril-haired companion obliged.

 _ **[BGM: Baki OST – Osu, Karate Way!]**_

With a sharp exhale, he raised his forearms against his assailants, a loud bang resulting from the force. Both strikes failed to meet their mark, before the two constructs readjusted themselves once more. Zinco was thrown into the defensive.

This time, however, his body acted as his shield.

He grit his teeth, his stomach expanding and contracting at a steady, relaxed rate as the constructs wailed on him relentlessly. After a final inhale, he repelled the two with his palms, subtle shockwaves to their cores forcing them off him. They split up, covering his left and right blind sides.

Zinco's focused frown twitched a bit.

"Osu."

The boy became a blur, a torrent of forearm blocks and palm deflections as he took both energy-based combatants on, constantly zipping about at lightning-speeds in order to ensure he wasn't faced with too much pressure, with his pursuers never too far to miss a punch or kick.

Yet Kaza followed his movements with ease.

Panicky, anxiety-ridden ease, but ease nonetheless.

In, out. In, out. His breathing never faltered, not once.

He continued this for hours, allowing the blocking to strengthen his limbs; and as time passed, so too did the constructs' fighting styles. It took a considerable period of time, but chips in Zinco's defenses presented themselves as his sparring "buddies" grew more random with their attacks; he'd deflect an elbow only to narrowly bound over a tackle, and then be struck by a flying sobat before he could set his feet on the ground. It was here that his true test began.

After taking a construct to the side with a sudden burst of speed, he responded to its attempted counter-knee with a light pull to deprive it of balance before flipping it and setting it upon the ground gently, all while the second ki construct barreled toward him in a chaotic, animalistic fashion. In the heat of the moment, disaster struck the boy:

"WAIT, ZI-"

With no time to react, his palm slammed into the apparition's head, dispelling it.

After a long pause, his eyes widened in shock before going somber.

"Not there yet…"

The formerly-immobilized construct glimmered away behind him, tiny blue droplets of light slowly scattering into nothing.

* * *

[ ONE WEEK EARLIER ]

"That's… a new one…" said Trunks, seated.

"Is that good or bad?" Zinco replied.

"I mean… morale has shot through the roof since the exam was announced. People wouldn't take such an announcement well."

"That's ok!" Zinco smiled. "You can keep the X ham part and just take the bad part out!"

Trunks scratched his head. "See that's the problem with your request. The 'bad part' you speak of is the reason why people are excited in the first place."

"W-WHY!?"

"I can't really help the fact that Conton City is packed with pugnacious teenagers with little-to-no regard for their personal safety at the moment. Sorry, but for their sake, I can't cancel the tournament. But if you're that adamant about not fighting, I'm working on a segment for those who plan on taking up a position that doesn't involve fi-"

" I'LL FIGHT."

Zinco's fist raised.

"If this is the only way to stop this, then I'll fight the fight!"

Trunks stared.

"So… you're gonna protest?"

"Yes! I'm gonna test myself in the pro-est way!"

"…Oh. You go do that."

"OSU!" Zinco yelled as he ran out of the office.

" 'Fight the fight…' What is that kid planning?"

* * *

Kaza approached the beaten blonde, his moppy hair covering his face as she healed him.

"What's wrong?" he suddenly asked, giving the Majin a jump. "You have that look again. Like you wanna cry."

"I-it's nothing! I just… have allergies!"

"Oh."

She maintained her healing, once more taking advantage of the fact that Zinco didn't know what those were.

"… Kaza?"

"Hm?"

"… is there a reason you're lying?"

His tone never lost that innocent inflection.

Kaza froze. Panic spread across her face.

"I-"

"It's ok!" Zinco's eyes shined through his bangs. "I'm not mad." He surged his upper body upward, fists pumped. "But you can tell me anything! I'm the bestest secret teller ever-"

Zinco flustered.

"-K-KEEPER! I-I didn't mean-uh…"

"I hate it."

Kaza welled with tears, a small smile from Zinco's prior goof still present.

"I hate what you people do to yourselves."

She gripped Zinco harder.

"I can't stand seeing it… how bad you look after everything… and I don't know why…"

Her smile faded, as she sobbed.

"Why you can't just stop?"

A finger brushed aside Kaza's tears.

"I'm gonna make a world."

 _ **[BGM: Sengoku BASARA 3 OST – Unification of the Land]**_

He stood against the blue light of the closet door, despite his injuries.

"I'm gonna make a world where people don't need to make others suffer. Where no one has to hurt each other, or hate each other. And I'm gonna do it without making others suffer!"

He pumped up his arms.

It'll be ok if I have to do things that hurt, because I'm not other people! I just have to get strong enough to take it!"

His fists fell to his side.

"And I'm absolutely, positively gonna get strong enough to fight fighting, not other people! So strong that I can't hurt anybody but the fight!"

His vibrant, emerald eyes were honest. Resolute. And they simmered with an unyielding, convicted flame.

"… ZInco…"

.

.

"That was a lot…"

Zinco's face went red.

"I'm still not good with words…"

"But I want to see you do it. Make a world without fighting."

It was Kaza's turn to stand.

"And I want to stand by you while you do it!" Kaza declared, blue eyes radiating.

"If you believe that you can do it this much, then so do I!"

Zinco's eyes watered, his grin getting even stupider.

"O-OSU!"

"OSU!" Kaza repeated louder.

But Zinco had one, final portion of his training.

The most hellish trial imaginable, one that many abandon before completion on account of the unbearable pain it brought. Yet the power it brought to those who endured was unimaginable.

And Kaza was ready to assist him all the way through.

"Ready?" Kaza asked, concern painting her voice.

Zinco took a shaky breath, lungs expanding.

"Osu."

"Alright! Let's begin!"

SLAM!

"5 TIMES 1!"

"SI- WAIT NO, 5!"

"YES! NOW 5 TIMES 2!"

"… … ….! UWAAAAH!" the boy yelled, clutching his head in agony.

"5 PLUS 5!"

"T-TEN!"

"THAT'S TWO 5s!"

"… I… I… I UNDERSTAND!"

The two studied for the remaining 30 minutes.

Because a unifier needs mental strength, as well.

* * *

 _ **[BGM: Mob Psycho 100 OST – Reigen's Theme]**_

"I don't understand."

Kaza watched with fading patience as a beetle-faced geezer hopped in circles, chanting a bizarre language while repeatedly throwing his hands to the sky.

"Of course, you don't. You aren't trained in the ways of a TRUE S-Class Exorcist!" his flat-faced, beaded and ring-necked cohort responded, blocking Kaza's path with 10 rotating, segmented arms also covered in sacred beads.

"Ex.. or… cist?"

"PRE-CISE-ALLAY!" the obscurer flamboyantly replied. "You see, my impeccably-grotesque friend, beyond this hill lies an angry evil spirit!"

"W-What!?" the Majin exclaimed, notably shaken. Mostly from the "grotesque" remark, but still. "How do you-"

"PRE-CISE-ALLAY!" he screeched, putting his finger in Kaza's face as he cut her off. "I've honed my ability to sense the aura of spirits throughout all my days, and you MUST believe me when I tell you that what I've sensed atop this peak is the most resentful, rage-filled, spiteful, hateful, bitter, rancorous, malignant…"

The pancake-faced guru whipped out and scrolled through a Thesaurus, much to Kaza's hidden annoyance.

"… vitriolic auras I've ever sensed! It may take DAYS before this foul ghost has been purged!"

"Gueyshi, Gueyshi!" the geezer notified from a distance.

"Is that so? I stand corrected, this very well may take WEEKS!"

"I-but-I-"

Smoke began to raise from Kaza's head cavities.

"S-SORRY, BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! SOMEONE'S COUNTING ON ME!" she yelled, spooning the daylights out of the oddballs before her before leaping over them.

"P-pardon my rudeness, but I have to go! I'm already late!" one final pleasantry before she zoomed up the hillside to the plateau above.

"…"

"… Geeyshi…!"

"Oh come now, Kueku, that's just obscene!"

As she neared the top, a chill went down Kaza's would-be spine.

 _ **[BGM: Baki OST – Thugress]**_

Deep-orange ki strands, somewhat-resembling a spider's webbing, ethereally dangled from the plateau.

Kaza gulped, even though she knew who this aura belonged to.

Now closer than ever, the aura's pure rage caused her body to break out in shivering fits.

She was angrier today.

With a final leg up, the grassy plateau's peak was reached.

And there sat Xiāo Mèi.

Her hair, now unrestrained by what was an already-large looped ponytail, resembled a dark-red mass of writhing appendages. The grass surrounding her had been cut to shreds.

Grief, Agony, Resolve, and Rage. All poured through her.

"M… Měi?" Kaza muttered.

It stopped.

The revenant stood.

"Good afternoon!" Xiǎo Měi smiled.

* * *

Měi began re-looping her hair with the help of ki.

"There are people down there that think you're a ghost."

"Is that so? Curious."

"Yeah." Kaza giggled uneasily.

"Měi?"

"Hm?" she turned, nearly done with her ridiculously-long hair.

"… Why is your…"

Kaza struggled getting out the question.

"Your… your hands! Why are your hands so bruised?"

"I have never told you?"

She formed a spear-like shape in her hand.

"I use the rock along this edge to strengthen my hand."

She giggled at Kaza's shocked expression.

"It does not compare to the hot coals I was made to use as a child, but I suppose it is still quite a shock, no?"

"Uh… yeah."

After another quick session of stretches, Měi thrusted herself upward and….

And took a breath.

"Let us begin." She stated, taking a stance.

"… Are you ill?"

Kaza looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"I-uh-no!"

With that, she brought out a board detailing a humanoid figure.

"Měi, is the tail really-"

"Háowú yíwèn!" Měi asserted, somewhat annoyed at how the question had been asked, like, five times now in different phrasings. Kaza dejectedly nodded.

 _ **[BGM: Thunderbolt Fantasy OST – From Either Way (1:22 – 2:17)]**_

"Now… let us start!" Měi dashed toward the dummy in a burst of speed. She hit splinters, as Kaza evaded her at the last millisecond. Měi followed, aiming at only the red dots placed in certain areas around the dummy while making sure that her feet moved by themselves and her breathing never grew too erratic. There was never more than one of the young former-assassin's feet on the ground, and her lightning-fast phalanx jabs made it appear as if she had 8 arms instead of 2. Yet Kaza was always a step away. Mostly because she was pretending that Měi wanted _her_ dead, and not the dummy. True, her speed was greater, but there was an area where she lacked considerably:

Měi suddenly shot off her right foot to Kaza's left, throwing the tall fuchsia girl out of loop.

"WAH-"

"There."

Měi's left fist flashed in a bright orange glow, and she skewered the attached tail.

After 20 minutes, she'd done it. Not before her legs gave out from under them, and she began gasping for air.

"You were awesome, Měi!" Kaza cheered. The scarlet-haired beauty looked up and grinned.

Then Kaza threw off the tail.

"Now without the weakness!"

"Shì…de…"

* * *

Měi, after 40 minutes of chasing the dummy possessed by the god of swiftness, ended the session on her back.

Though it seemed she used "his" method of breath control, she wasn't as good at maintaining it. Still, it allowed her to recuperate quickly.

"Měi, can I suggest something?" Kaza asked, the dummy – which, aside from 8 holes, was in decent condition – laying by her side as she sat.

"Of course."

Kaza thought back to her previous sess-

"But tail stays."

Her previous sessions.

"You're getting worse as the session goes further."

"I… I have seen…"

Měi raised herself into a crisscross position.

"But I don't know why... My breathing?"

"I think it's more than that."

The Majin pointed to her eye.

"Your eyes get frenzied after a while."

"What?" Měi responded, shocked. "I was trained to bay my emotion when I fight. How could this be?"

"It's in your aura, too. It's like you're always angry, but it spikes when you continue to fail over and over. I think… you get frustrated too often. Maybe that anger makes it worse?"

"… What would you have me do with this anger?"

"If it's holding you back, you can just get rid of it!"

"… I need that rage, Kaza."

"I don't think you do!" Kaza suddenly objected.

"You don't understand-"

"DO I NEED TO?" Kaza's voice cracked. She was starting to resent that part of herself, as she choked down the oncoming sob. Měi looked on with sorrowful eyes, as the night sky's black crept upon the two.

"There are terrible creatures in this world. Beasts with no sense of honor or mercy. They relish in their power to conquer, to kill, to take. They have taken from me that which I cannot be given back. If I want to avenge that which I've lost, avenge myself, then I must 'keep this rage.' I do not want you to share this anger."

Her dead, hazel eyes were honest. Resolute. And they burned with a quiet, pain-staked fury.

"I only wish that you know why I feel it."

"… I… I can do that."

Měi smiled, before giving a solitary nod.

"Still, this 'frustration' of mine must be put to death. I ask that you assist in this task."

Kaza's mood had taken a nosedive. Two conflicting dreams, belonging to those whom she found dear; and yet, she felt compelled to help them both become stronger. And with that resolve of hers in mind, she replied.

"How?"

Měi responded with a fist.

 _ **[Self-Contained ED: Takanori Nishikawa – Crescent Cutlass]**_

"WA~AH!?" Kaza dodged just in time.

"A 'Killer's Art' requiring such precision as mine must adapt! As must I!" Měi stated sternly, redirecting herself with a mid-air butterfly kick before pressing on the assault with razor-edged thrusts and kicks, as if she were a living dagger. "Kaza, I ask that you raise your fist against mine!"

"But-"

"No more words! You wish to master your own power, no? Then dance with this miserable plum before you, so that we may help each other over these flaws!"

"I-I-WAI-NRGH!"

Kaza lashed out, knocking Měi off the plateau.

"… N-no…"

But with a sudden appearance of golden-orange threads, Měi rained down a kick which Kaza subconsciously deflected.

"!?"

"JIÉLE!" Měi exclaimed as loud as she could without wounding her throat, as the two clashed. "HOW WILL YOU LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR QI IF YOU NEVER LEARN ITS TRUE EXTENT!?" Kaza found herself blocking and dodging exceptionally well… better than she knew she could.

In fact.

Though faint, in the back of her mind.

She was enjoying the exchange.

And the two girls fought beyond the "sun's" departure.

* * *

 _ **Within an eternal forest, a "wayward Dragon" tears at itself in order to find the wings strong enough to allow a search for its place upon the earth.**_

 _ **Within a metal shell away from space, a "stray Tiger" dances before its reflection in order to prove its right to roam amongst its fellow beasts, all while fleeing the memory of the sanctuary from which it came.**_

 _ **At the summit, a "burning Oozaru" heeds the arrogant roar of the tiger beneath it, seeking to overcome the barrier of legend imposed before it with bare fists, while its comrade boldly challenges the art of warring with its brute strength alone.**_

 _ **A "desolate Butterfly" compels itself to flutter alongside a "declawed Komainu" as it aims for its ambition of a just world's creation, while it witnesses that dream clash against a "vengeful Spider" which seeks the fall of a warrior race in the name of its torn web and broken limbs.**_

 _ **And a "berserk Rakshasha" recklessly hungering for the strength to take a bloody revenge, finds itself leaning against the shell of a turtle which dreams of bearing its own claws.**_

 _ **Will these 7 be worthy of heaven's eye?**_

 _ **Will they notice its gaze, as their own fiercely follow the dreams which they pursue?**_

 _ **Time will tell.**_

* * *

 **Yo! OP here!**

 **So, like, Detroit's under siege n' shit cus of the Great Value Plague, that sucks. Will probably die before I can finish the story, sucks as well, but at least the effort was cool as hell. Besides, who knows? We'll probably come out of this ok. That's what makes humans annoying.**

 **Regardless, I went through 3 sick shows these past few weeks: Space Dandy, FLCL, and Dorohedoro. Yep, 3 shows that do whatever the hell they want, and they do it well. I also started investigating Thunderbolt Fantasy only to find out it's Puppet BASARA. Meaning I'm going to be hailing this show as the best thing since sliced bread if I'm not dead by next chapter.**

 **Are you guys doing alright? God, I hope so.**

 **In any case, d'ya like that pedantic shit at the end of this chapter? That pretty much signals that I have everyone's training and drive established.**

 **You know what that means?**

 **That's right!**

 **Character growth time.**

 **...**

 **No bruh I SWEAR this is gonna be good. Seriously though, this'll be the last sequence before the tournament actually begins. It'll help develop bonds and shed actual light on characters' backstories instead of cryptic shit, as well as make everybody happ- make everybody stronger. Fruits of labor will be abound, and more fights pitting the main characters against randos that I'll hopefully forget the existence of after the chapter they appear in. Yeah.**

 **Regarding Zinco's ambition: it's a stupid fucking dream and he's stupid for trying. Doesn't mean he'll ever stop, just means he'll continue seeing truths that change the way he thinks about his dream. The people around him will also influence how he sees it; in the future, a certain irredeemable tyrant's gonna effectively break his perception of people's potential for good. That'll hurt the tyrant much more than it will hurt Zinco, and believe me, it's gonna fucking CRUSH our golden boy.**

 **I say he dream is dumb like Měi's is any bette-**

 **That's getting ahead of myself. Anyway, let me just put this off-topic concern to rest and say that I want Neoru's clan to be a fusion of MEZO-AMERICAN and Japanese cultures, not Brazilian. Brasil #1, mind you, but I was being a brainlet when I put Brazilian. That mean I'm gonna retcon his brother speaking Portuguese? Uh... I dunno... Yeah, actually. Portuguese implies his clan was found at some point, and I've got plans to make his native island a lost world-type hellhole that the Arogi (it's Arogi now. Sounds more like -Ology than Orogi did) have adapted to, also explains why they've never shown up as well as why they weaponized Fighting Spirit.**

 **Stay safe, stay sanitized, stay sane, stay healthy, stay loved.**

 **Gonna go read Vagabond now.**

 **That's about it. See ya.**


	27. Document (4)word

_**[There Is No OP, Take Off Your Clothes]**_

 **theapriloneincasewearen'talldeadbythe1st**

* * *

 _Voshyowillhavetowait. word_

"Say, Lizard Bastard," Voshyo looked over his shoulder as he sat.

"What's wrong?" Ceruzius responded.

"How much time has passed since I've last appeared in a chapter?"

"Let's see… including OP's two instances of public complaining… 18."

Voshyo stared.

"In fact, it seems there were characters he'd spontaneously created who possess more appearances than you."

Voshyo stared.

He proceeded to crush the enlarged Saibaman hand he was previously eating in his hand.

"I… I see."

"You seem upset."

"… zip it."

* * *

 _Portuguese. word_

"Hey, Saēko?" asked Neo.

"Que?" Saēko replied.

"Why do you speak Portuguese, even though the Araji island was never discovered by anyone speaking Portuguese? And we're based on Mesoamerican culture, right? Why are even speaking in a South-American dialect if we SHOULD be, if any at all, speaking a Central-American one?"

"I'm just invested in other languages. Brazilian people are pretty cool guys after all, brother mine!"

"That, or maybe OP's an ignorant moron who tries too hard and simultaneously not hard enough to competently integrate real-life cultures into fiction for the purpose of world-building a series with an already-established world?"

"… Y-you're growing up right before my eyes, Neo…" Saēko sobbed.

* * *

 _Whykorawasn'tinthedodgeballchapter. word_

The crunching of bone, the whirring of stray balls, and the screams of the weak flooded the gym.

All the while, in a distance corner…

Flip.

"He-heee…."

Kora enjoys becoming stronger and besting stronger opponents.

Flip.

"Hm-Hm-Hm, even the koala knows about him…"

But she enjoys Neko Majin Z more.

Flip.

"…. wait why can it go Super Sai- oh no, that's its… its own little… thing…"

Flip.

"HE USES A FOXTAIL TO-HAAHAHAHA, Haaaaaah…."

Blood managed to splatter on her as she read through.

She didn't notice.

* * *

 _Languagebarrier. word_

"how long do I have to stay off-screen even though anyone who looks up a dragon ball fan fiction knows very-well what I look like?" the Supreme Kai of Time moaned.

"Just wait until the Saiyan Saga, like Voshyo," Trunks replied.

"So anyway, seeing as how many patrollers arrive here, with vague understanding of 'The Main Language'…"

"English or Japanese?"

"Whatever language the reader speaks, I don't know… anyway, shouldn't we work on, like, a method for everyone to instantly understand everyone?"

"Like the bracelet from Space Dandy?"

"Eh, something more convenient."

"The talisman from Drifters?"

"NO NOT LIKE THE TALISMAN FROM DRIFTERS, SHUT UP."

"Touchy… anyway…"

Trunks's coat began inexplicably fluttering in the wind.

"I believe that with the restriction of the language barrier, people will be compelled to come to each other for help, and thereby forge bonds with their fellow patroller! Because THAT is how we as mortals survive!"

"…"

"…"

"DO you have any idea how absolutely fucking stupid that sounded?"

"NO, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SOUND STUPID AND IT WORKS!"

* * *

 _Narcissism. word_

"Alright, Dina," Ayva (this should've been how I spelt her name) said, "this is the training android I've spent a staggering 3 whole days on. It's called D.I.A.N.A. because I thought I'd be cute to have it named almost after you."

"wicked," replied Dina, before her jaw dropped to the floor as the automaton shifted into a form resembling her own.

"Oh yeah, it changes to resemble the one it's training against. Now, it'll mirror your movements until it establishes its own based on the data it receives from you, so you'll be able to find and combat your own weaknesses as you…"

"…"

"Dina?"

"Hm?"

"Don't fuck the robot."

"EW! GROSS! WHY WOULD YOU THINK I'D… COME ON, MS. AYVA!"

"… You're right. Please forgive my rudeness. On that note, I'll leave you to your own devices. I've got important things to do, like yell at other over what's basically hyperbolized powerscaling."

"Oh, no problem, you… you go break a leg out there."

"I said sorry, I don't know why you'd say something so horrible to me but I understand. Goodbye."

Eiva teleported away.

Dina continued to look… suspiciously… at the Dina-impersonating robot.

"…"

"she never say I COULDN'T shag her now did she?"

Not long after Ayva's departure, Dina was checked into the ER.

Injury: Broken hand.

Assessed Cause: Caught between gears.

Reason: Unknown, patient consistently demonstrates violent response when asked.

* * *

 _Kaset'scigarettes. word_

"So those are, like, bad for you or whatever, right?" Neoru asked.

Kaset took a lengthy drag. "Pretty bad. Why?"

"This place's tryin' ta make people stronger, right? How'd you ever get those in the first place?"

Kaset took another drag. "How else? I make 'em myself."

"How?"

"Start by turnin' sand to tobacco with ki. Rest is simple as looking at the cig."

"Sand into tobacco… yeah sure. Wait, hold on, you could probably make a killing off that shit if you sold it."

"C'mon, I'm not stupid enough to sell these things, Neo."

Kaset took another drag.

"… for cheap-"

Ayva and Stroga appeared from the sky itself and drop-kicked Kaset before he could go any further.

* * *

 _Dina'sname. word_

 **OK, so… Neoru, for Neuro… could make SOMETHING out of that…**

 **Toma? Let's see… nah, that's taken. Canon character AND a… an OC… I don't really wanna associate with that thing… WAIT, VOSHYO! WHAT ABOUT THAT!? YEAH, I CAN ROLL WITH THAT!**

 **What about the half-Saiyan, though…**

 **I mean, Gohan's after lunch, so maybe I could just make it Dina after dinner?**

 **Nah, that's fuckin' stupid, I'll find something better.**

2, technically 3, years passed.

This is Dina.

"I mean… leave… shit!"

* * *

 _Where'sthedragonballinSTEP. word_

"So, uh…" Neoru began, "Does anyone actually know what the hell a 'Goku' is?"

"Can't say I do," Dina replied.

"Not a clue," Voshyo replied.

"Go-who?" Zinco turned his head in confusion.

"No, but I feel like I should!" Kaza responded anxiously.

"I'm afraid not," Ceruzius replied.

"Goku… The monkey king?" Měi asked.

"N-no, the other one."

"… Wukong in your ton-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP NO ONE CARES!" Kazikum roared for no reason, before throwing his seat in a fit of pent-up aggression, which hit an unflinching Zinco dead-on, and stormed out.

"The fu-"

"So… none of you… have heard of Goku?" Wabi asked with concern.

Everyone still present nodded.

"W-what about the Dragon Balls?"

Everyone who didn't say various renditions of "fake" looked at Wabi like he'd spoken another language. Měi literally did just that, and she still made more sense to them.

"Holy wow… that means the only Dragon Ball character we're familiar with is the daddy issues-riddled, character-assassinating, official Gary Stu…"

"Y'know," Trunks began in his office, "after a hard day of writing miscellaneous things on miscellaneous papers, I can finally say that I'm done. It would really suck if I inexplicably sneezed for some kind of cruel universal slapstick or somethi-

Kazikum broke down the door, melted the sheets with pure force of his swung fist alone, and called Trunks something that'd absolutely get me an M-rating before jumping out the window.

"…"

Trunks slowly broke down.

* * *

 _Archi. word_

"WHAT'S THAT SOUND!?"

"Please stop-"

"ARCHI!?" Kora exclaimed, before running behind Archi.

"I have cripplingly-low self-esteem at this point, please leave me al-"

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS TOWN!?"

"If you weren't hot, I'd kick you in the shins or somethi-"

"ARCHI!?" Kora exclaimed again, disappearing behind Archi once more.

"I hate Saiyan hormones…"

* * *

 _Smol. word_

 ** _"I DO SAY, 'TIS A TRULY AUSPICIOUS DAY TO BE UNDER 5 FEET TALL! WOULDN'T YOU AGREE, YOUNG MAIDEN OF SIMILAR STATURE!?"_**

"Do not speak to me, Hóu Guǐ."

 _ **"HAHA! WHY SUCH RESENTFUL EYES, YOUNG WARRIOR! WHY, IT COULDN'T BE YOUR SIZE, COULD IT!? KNOW THIS; 'TIS NOT THE DOG IN THE FIGHT, BUT THE FIGHT IN THE DOG! AN UNYIELDING, FLAMING SPIRIT CAN OVERCOME ANY SIZE-RELATED OBSTACLE, MAIDEN!"**_

"So… loud…"

 _ **"WHAT'S THIS!? AN UNWRAPPED PIECE OF TAFFEE LAYS AT MY FEET!? THE HEAVENS HAVE SURELY SMILED UPON MY THIS DAY!"**_

"Pìhuà…! I missed her throat…!"

* * *

 _Originality. word_

"So you've got, like, blonde hair and shit."

"Mh."

"Big-boy ambitions, wanna change the world."

"Mh."

"Never fit in at your world, persecuted or shit you didn't do."

"…mh…"

"Socially-awkward dumbass clings onto you for dear life, you don't notice her right now, and you inspire her."

"I don't know anyone like that, but I have friend! Her name's Kaza!"

"You know what yer doin' ya bastard… anyway, angry monster with a tail that comes out sometimes, fucked you over in the past I bet."

"Mh. So your big brother is…"

"He's fuckin' dead… yeah."

"And you wanted to hurt something for a long time because of that!"

"Not a great few years."

"And you have a purple power!"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Your clan is kinda special!"

"Uh-huh."

"You use a sword!"

"No doubt."

"Your hair is black!"

"It's brown, but whatever."

"You're familiar with a punchy girl who likes to talk a bunch, AND a red hair girl who's kinda weird."

"Don't know either of 'em, and they're both fuckin' weirdos, but sure."

"And you kind of act…"

"What? What, the hell're you tryna say, asshole? I'll kick your ass!"

"…Like that."

"Yeah well you're stupid, so."

"I'm not THAT stupid!"

"LIKE HELL YOU AIN'T! YOU BARELY KNOW YOUR TIMES-TABLES, JACKASS!"

"THEY'RE REALLY HARD!"

"HARD, EH!? WELL CHECK THIS OUT! 2, 4, 8, 12-"

"YOU'RE MISSING NUMBERS!"

"NO I'M NOT! LOOK-LOOK-LOOK, I'M SMART, YOU'RE NOT, IT'S THAT SIMPLE, M'KAY!?"

"YEAH WELL-Wait. Why are we fighting?"

"Dunno, we aren't supposed to hit the rival stuff until after this tournament…"

"…"

"…"

"Ah fuck, we're Naruto characters, aren't we?"

"I thought we were Son Goku Basoda characters."

"Shut up, I'm gonna go OD on lawn grass before I kiss you or some shit!"

"Oh. Okay! Have fun!"

"Get fucked!"

* * *

 _Fightingspirit. word_

 **Literally a dragon.**

"Sick."

 **Tiger.**

"Wicked."

 **Every Saiyan pretty much gets an Oozaru, but yours has a mane and shit.**

"Adequate."

 **Xiezhi. Or, like, Haetae. It'll probably turn into a Raijin at points.**

" 'Kay!"

 **Was gonna be a rabbit, but Butterfly works better.**

"TH-THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

 **Bull.**

"Not difficult to see why… though I'd rather not have such inconvenient horns…"

 **Rakshasha.**

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-"

 **Spider.**

(A happy Měi noise)

 **...**

"…"

 **Turtle.**

"Seriously?"

 **What? What's wrong with turtles? They have… like… shells n' stuff… and they can bite good…**

"I'm gonna be emotional support aside from healing, aren't I?"

* * *

 _Walkthedog. word_

"I walked him yesterday, get off my back," said Dina.

"You took him out for 5 minutes, tied him on a tree, got Chipotle, and took him back," Wabi retorted. "That's not a walk, that's negligence."

"Hmm, funny. All that talk and yet you've failed to refute the fact that I did, in fact, walk him. Fair debate, lessons learned, cheers."

"Stop making this so difficult and walk him! I have things to do, and he broke off his chain and forced me to chase him across the city last time I walked him!"

"Well now, that sounds more like a 'You' problem than it does mine."

"Dear jeez, why do you even have him if you won't take care of him!?"

"He's cute. In addition, I feed him, I have my part. Now if you'll excuse me, this pointless argument has left me quite famished, so I'll be taking my-"

Kazikum suddenly broke through the floor.

"W A L K." He snarled, looking at the both of them simultaneously.

"…"

"…"

"Welp, there go my plans for today."

"Yeah, well, pets tend to do that."

* * *

 _Tunnelvision. word_

Kaza and Měi somehow became close friends, even after "that dodgeball game."

How could this be?

Simple.

"HELPZINCOHELPZINCOHELPZINCOHELPZINCO-" Kaza screamed internally as her eyes were completely glued to Zinco and her concentration was fixed on her telekinesis.

"SAIYANBADSAIYANBADSAIYANBADSAIYANBADSAIYANBAD-" Měi hissed internally as her eyes were completely glued to Zinco and her concentration was fixed onto her qi technique.

They were too preoccupied.

* * *

 _Stairs. word_

"Can't believe that dumbass bought the stairs excuse," Neoru snickered to himself, too occupied with his own genius to notice the sudden drop.

"wait wha-"

Every fucking acupuncture point in known to man was hit by the edges of the stairs as he tumbled downward, be them secret, forbidden, deadly, healing, or whatever. By the time he hit the bottom, he was immobilized, blind, deaf, and had shit himself twice. The deadlier points were conveniently counteracted by those which healed, but it did little to ease his agonized and enraged screaming.

Stroga fixed up what he could, after checking on the commotion, but nothing could be done for what little pride Neoru possessed.

If not for mind-reading and cameras, Měi would've been framed by actual stairs.

Trunks took the day off. To rethink things.

* * *

 _Wrongprotagonists. word_

Trunks sipped his cherry Hetap, as the beams of light dissipated.

"… wait a minute…"

"Eh? This ain't Edo Japan!" said an Okinawan ronin in a red jacket and shorts.

"What the- this isn't the 21st Nome!" said a British magician with brown, red-streaked hair and Egyptian clothing.

"OF THIS LIFE, I HAVE NOT ONE REGRE… wait, this isn't the End of the Century!" said RAOH.

"… oh shit, I hit the 'real great influences from real great series' button again."

He tried again and got a blonde plant in a red trench coat, an awkward ninja chick with clear eyes, and a caped skeleton on a horse.

He tried again and got a psychopathic blonde fighter with black-red eyes, and an indigo, bubble-ponytailed assassin in a sea-blue changpao.

He did it one more time and got 3 copies of himself.

Trunks blushed.

* * *

 _Endofchapter:OPis(not)here. word_

 **Alright, I think I got the hang'a this.**

 **Sup, Neoru here.**

 **OP got taken by some yellow guys because he coughed too loud, was weird. Anyway, uh, from the looks of it, this was some shit he made to mock his own series for … April Fools… or whatever that it.**

 **Heh, dumbass couldn't even upload it on the 1st.**

 **Huh.**

 **Well, anyway, next time on STEP, I'm gonna definitely not get my ass kicked again, I get a life that I'm proud of, I live happily ever after, Kaset gets his legs broken, and the story wraps up from there. It'll be great.**

 **Uh…**

 **Yeah, I'm gonna fuck off now. See ya.**


	28. The Path to Growth Lies in Battle!

_**[OP: My Fist Story – King and Ashley]**_

 **[Time Ticks Down! The Greatest Path of Growth Lies in the Heat of Battle!]**

* * *

Hadn't been an easy month for the boy. The fact that he'd had worse did nothing to change that.

"97… 98…"

"FULL NUMBERS, NEO! NONE'A THAT HALF-ASSED SHIT, ALL THE WAY OR NOTHIN,' KID!"

"3-FUCKING-THOUSAND-AND-NINE...TY…"

He was convinced that his master was trying to kill him; most of the reason he was still kicking, he felt, was purely to spite him.

"WHY ARE WE SLOWIN' DOWN, NEO? WE'RE JUST NOW GETTIN' OVER LAP 50! ONLY 4000 KM TO GO!"

"OH-EAT-SHIT-ASS-HOLE… GA~AH!"

But as much as he regretted the notion, he had gotten immensely stronger.

Conditioning involving (but by no means limited to) nearly-drowning, standing outside in temperatures ranging from frigid to searing, and battering/getting battered with whatever the hell these shitty indigo trees were made of.

Absurd amounts of cardio (like running, but you don't get to stop) calisthenics (apparently, it's intentionally stretching and pulling yourself to the point where your body hates you too much to move) and weight training (moving heavy metal junk up and down until something's about to tear) that took him days to get through without pause and left him a sore hunk of meat on the teal-blue soil.

And the worst part?

Kaset not only did them with him, he did _more_ , cocky bastard.

… no, no it wasn't even cockiness. Fucker was double-tasking the entire time.

And as much as he hated to admit it, when he looked up to see Kaset, still in perfect form, still pacing himself forward, still pushing harder than he thought possible, that stupid fucking feeling told him to keep going.

So Neoru did.

Today was weird, though.

"... Hey, Neo."

"Stop callin' me that, dammit."

"Am I… am I too hard on you?" The seasoned patroller asked his pupil around a fire.

"Tch, just who the hell d'you take me for?"

"I'm serious."

"Yeah? Well shame on you, bastard. Woulda called it quits after Day 1 if I was worried about how hard you were gonna be on me."

Neoru threw a stick into the fire.

"Besides, you sure-as-hell do a great job at makin' every move I make look like some toddler with Polio's."

"Holy shit, kid."

"Yeah, whatever, all this talking about me being some kinda bitch is starvin' me. Gonna go find somethin' scuttley."

"Hold on."

"Oh come the- WHAT NOW?"

Kaset pulled out a capsule.

"Okay…?"

"We're takin' a break from training today. You're doing well enough, think you earned it," he complemented before tossing his Hoi Poi Boy to the soide.

"Yeah, where the hell was that pep when I was…"

"Wha…"

What resulted from the smoke explosion was a vast arsenal of gourmet breakfast food, enough to sick a Saiyan if they ate too quickly.

Neoru's eyes lit up with a boyish wonder, as if he were bearing witness to some world-shifting miracle. He slowly looked over to Kaset and cautiously pointed to himself, look of utter awe still streaked upon his face.

"Man, I said you earned it, right?" he smiled. "Eat!"

Neoru nodded, drying his parched throat with a gulp and slowly approaching the plates with a deer's mannerisms. It all seemed so… new to him.

Neoru carefully sorted through the food, plopping down whatever looked the least-likely to spoil in a flash, all while the staggering array of aromas – meats, eggs, baked sweets, fresh produce, something sweet-yet-smoky that he couldn't quite put his finger on – threatened to entrance him.

"Was it really that long ago… that I was like that?" Kaset wondered in thought, as he ate an energy bar.

Neoru eventually came back with a decked-out plate with zero semblance of balance or separation, with everything from sausage, to blueberry pancakes, to a rice omelette, to empanadas stuffed with provolone cheese and some rainbow space bird's meat, topped off with lettuce and mango.

Kaset stifled a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Neoru asked with a pugnacious air, which Kaset responded to with quick, downward shakes of the head. The student shrugged took a seat and began eating.

Slowly.

As if every bite was his last, in fact.

If the sounds and expressions he made were any indicator, every bite was bringing him a step closer to Heaven.

All the while, his instructor's gaze sunk to the ground. His granola sat in his grasp, half-eaten.

"Fuck me… I'm doing all this to a kid…"

* * *

"Hey! Hey, I didn't come here to listen to yer ass snore! Wake up!"

Kaset slowly reopened his eyes, giving them a rub before fixing his vision on the post-apocalyptic punk before him.

"Man you sure took your sweet-ass time eating… shit…" he groaned.

"Whatever, so what now?"

Kaset groaned again; this one was way more annoyed.

"First and foremost, I ain't doin' nothing until you say it."

"Eh?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT. Don't play with me, boy."

Neoru had an impatient "big think" before sighing.

"Thanks."

Kaset fake-sulked. "Well that didn't sound sincere at all."

"Aw for- THANK. YOU."

"For?"

Neoru's face contorted in anger.

Kaset's remained completely neutral.

Neoru reluctantly calmed himself.

"… For the food. It… it was good. Like, really good."

"There it is!" Kaset grinned, flicking Neo's head, much to the boy's annoyance.

"Just tell me what's next! Jeez!"

"OK. Your next set is going to sleep."

"Got it."

.

.

"YOU PIECE'A-"

Kaset shut him up with a bonk to the head.

"Hey. You need to calm your rude ass down. Anyway, the only source of sleep you've gotten since I've seen you has been either getting knocked out, or passing out. That's not healthy."

"Yeah, that slug to my head wasn't any better…." Neoru muttered, rubbing his new, flaming knot with a tear.

"Besides, I'm fine with passing out."

"… What?"

"I'm FINE with passing out. Sleeping's a waste'a time."

"That's… that's… no, you need sleep to LJVE. Sleeping's how you stay ALIVE. You haven't gone this far without sleeping on your own, you're not about to tell me tha-"

"WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH!? JUST DROP IT!" Neoru suddenly cried out.

"…"

"Wait. I get it."

"Like hell."

"Look man, I don't know what you've been through, but sleep is sleep. Besides, you just ate a lot. Can't just exercise after that much food, you're gonna cramp up. Just TRY to sleep, ok? That's your mental exercise."

Neoru stood in place, eyes almost pleading, before he huffed and walked off without a word.

Kaset watched him go with a sullen stare, before he refocused his attention onto the table of food that was still there.

"Welp… pretty sure Ayva's got someone that'll clean that up…" With that, he mozzied over and tapped the table's side, as it and everything on it imploded into a capsule.

* * *

Neoru gazed into the sky, hands behind his head.

The amazing food he'd eaten earlier was making him sleepy, that was certain.

And Kaset was right; he hadn't slept on his own since he got here. It was train, school, and train until he dropped.

"Tch…"

His vision became blurry as he lay by the warm campfire.

Pretty soon, he stopped fighting it and let the darkness take his sight, his muscles relaxing as he fell to sleep _ **.**_

* * *

 _ **Howling.**_

 _ **Constant, loud, Howling.**_

 _ **A towering figure hovering above. Forgot what it did to him. Where he was taken. It was bad.**_

 _ **Bro killed them. Bro was on fire. Bro was screaming. Bro was scary.**_

 _ **Changed after. Yelled at bro. He went to clear his head. He apologized. Didn't care.**_

 _ **Howling took bro. Eyes still open.**_

 _ **No, that wasn't bro. Bro doesn't look like that. Bro was stronger. He had to be.**_

 _ **I'm sorry.**_

 _ **Wasn't scared anymore. Angry.**_

 _ **Ran after Howling. Never stopped. Couldn't hear anything but Howling.**_

 _ **Became stronger.**_

 _ **Not strong enough.**_

 _ **Was scared all along.**_

 _ **Cuole stepped in front. She smiled. Could see bone as she stood in front of the hole, screaming.**_

 _ **Howling took Cuole.**_

 _ **I'm sorry.**_

 _ **Ran.**_

 _ **Alone.**_

 _ **Smiling faces. New people to call his own.**_

 _ **Lifeless faces contorted in agony. They were smiling before. Food was taken. Wasn't gone that long.**_

 _ **What happened.**_

 _ **Alone.**_

 _ **He came out of nowhere. Pleaded for food. Pulled out blade.**_

 _ **Red. Got on bro's jacket. Eyes were still open.**_

 _ **Small child. Grin of proud brother.**_

 _ **Child grew taller, dirtier. Sword in hand bloodies. Grin falls. Proud no longer.**_

 _ **Kill and live.**_

 _ **Steal and eat.**_

 _ **Cleo was still alive.**_

 _ **She was able to forgive. How?**_

 _ **Group of killers. Became one. New family.**_

 _ **Old bastard sitting above all. Heartless fuck.**_

 _ **Boot atop head. Can't oppose. Too strong.**_

 _ **I hate you.**_

 _ **Traitor. All of them. Laughing fuckers.**_

 _ **Cleo just let them.**_

 _ **You were always better.**_

 _ **But she left, too.**_

 _ **I hate you?**_

 _ **Stupid. I'm worse.**_

 _ **Became stronger.**_

 _ **Not strong enough.**_

 _ **Howling.**_

 _ **Just like me.**_

 _ **Kills to live.**_

 _ **No different.**_

 _ **No evil.**_

 _ **We're all just weaker.**_

 _ **Why do I fight it?**_

 _ **I love you. Please live.**_

 _ **"**_ I SAID GO!"

 _ **Hell.**_

 _ **Unending Hell.**_

 _ **Could smell skin. Feel it burning.**_

 _ **Just let me die already.**_

 _ **I'm sorry.**_

* * *

It lasted for what felt like forever. Yet only 3 hours had passed since he'd closed his eyes.

There was no violent shake, no shortness of breath.

He just woke up.

Wasn't exactly a new dream, after all. Besides the newer additions, of course, he saw it every time he went to sleep. That said, even though he'd gotten used to it, he hated it all the same. He liked overworking himself because of it; blacking out felt more like a time jump to the next day.

Neoru began to pick himself up and found that his arms failed to move.

The same with his back and legs.

Even his head failed him.

The only movements he could muster were in his stupid fucking eyes.

"… NO…!"

Neoru began quietly panicking. When his body went like this – Why? Because if fucking hated him, too, he didn't know – IT appeared.

Almost as if on cue, a gurgling sounded off from outside his peripherals.

"GET UP. GET UP YOU DUMBASS."

He'd resorted to pleading with his own body as his labored breaths desperately clamored at air.

The gurgling inched closer. He could hear its footsteps.

"COME ON…!"

A deathly-grey something entered his sight from above.

"COME ON!"

Crawling on all fours, hardened and raised, spiked hairs atop its grotesque, disturbingly-human visage. Every inch of its flesh was rocky and molten – dripping with something like magma – distorted and fashioned into a spike-ridden carapace, as if its body had been forcefully snatched from another owner and violently terraformed to suit the new resident's needs.

He knew it wasn't real, of fucking course he knew it wasn't real, but it didn't matter. The image alone was enough to traumatize him.

But he could live with that. When everything was said and done, he could bare that.

It was its screech that he couldn't stand.

It crawled over him. His chest sank under its fictitious pressure. The gurgling was deafening now.

Its maw slowly peeled open, magma pouring freely.

Neoru clamped his eyes shut and braced.

And…

…

Nothing.

He jolted upward.

He could breathe again. Move again.

And it had disappeared.

"… the hell's wrong with me?"

He wiped his face and gazed into his open palm. A shaking palm that turned into a quaking fist, one that quickly broke the ground beneath it.

He swore aloud.

* * *

"You look like shit."

"Yeah, what else is new?"

6 hours had passed.

"Didn't sleep, did you?"

Neoru shrugged. "Tried it. Wasn't for me."

What with how red they were, the whites of the boy's eyes did ill to fit the name.

"That so…" Kaset sighed. "Making this shit hard for me."

"… Not lying when I said I tried it, y'know. Really gave it my fuckin' all."

"I know... I know…"

Kaset shrugged.

"Aight, next phase. Hit me-"

He tilted his head and let Neo's fist fly past.

 _ **[BGM: Baki the Grappler OST – Self Confidence]**_

"That eager, eh?" he taunted, jumping back as he forced Neoru to do the same with a push.

"You've got no idea, pal!" he hissed before dashing in to meet his master with a quick aerial roundhouse. As Kaset met it with an iron forearm, Neoru used the block's sturdiness to kick himself off mid-air and behind his master before dashing back in low before Kaset had completely turned to face him. The punches which followed carried little weight, yet never lingered long enough for them to matter as Neoru strafed around, now fast enough to leave afterimages behind. What more, his attacks lacked any sort of pattern beside the most basic in and out; he circled around like a vulture, picking at Kaset's solid defense with low-high-mid punches and kicks. What was certain was the fact that Neoru wasn't just throwing blows… in fact, the areas he focused pressure on were the liver, sides of the skull, softer locations around the body that'd put someone out of commission instantly.

"… He's just sizing me up right now…" Kaset noted internally as he blocked Neo's blows with guided palms, his forearms, and reactionary kicks. Controlled head movements, as well as consistently moving, ensured he was never glued to one spot; but Neoru would occasionally attempt to take advantage of those and try to hook-kick the elite off his feet.

Each attack served to knock him just a bit more off his guard, while never completely leaving Neo himself without a window to dodge. Even more, he was becoming more unpredictable as the fight continued, keeping distance with snaps only to suddenly come up unusually close with a sideways elbow, only to push off with a front kick and spin across the ground like a lunatic and kick up high from there. Kaset eventually got fed up and launched himself back with his left leg; he'd found that Neoru worked best with his opponent in a state of confusion, as to end a fight quickly and decisively.

But he'd need to learn how to adapt if he wanted to go farther. Then again, he'd lived long enough to reach 15 in what seemed like conditions with less-than-pleasant neighbors. Perhaps he already had the know-how.

Kaset's stance became less rigid as he bounded back, yet still carried a light stance. Neoru circled around, low to the ground as he scoped out the new conditions. Wasn't long before he went back in to tear away. Only difference was, Kaset was ready this time.

"OK, Neoru. What'll you do when someone stops 'playing your game'?"

 _ **[BGM: Earthside – Entering the Light (1:14) ]**_

Kaset rushed in at a six-figure speed, completely blindsiding Neoru. The latter's eyes bulged as the former came full-throttle with a low grapple; with no time to evade it, Neo spread himself out and confronted it head-on. The difference in strength, despite Kaset's blatant suppression, was glaring to say the least, but the vagrant was wise and quick enough to catch on, sink to the ground and tuck before Kaset had the chance to get a proper hold, leading into a toss, using the patroller's strength and momentum to his advantage in the nick of time. Neo rolled forward and rose to a straight fist barreling toward him; if not for reflexes, he'd've been without a head. Instead, he bobbed his head to the side at the last minute, the fist cutting into the side of his cheek. Quick to retort, he grabbed hold of Kaset's fist just as he pulled back and shot his knee into his mentor's gut, before flipping over him and gaining space.

"He's coming for me now. But I've got just the thing for that…" Neo evaluated, eyes in a frenzy as he calmed from his instinct-driven encounter with death.

"Still haven't seen his entire hand… but I've got a basic idea right now."

Kaset readjusted himself and turned as Neoru thought things through.

"Fast, hits hard and hits well… and a grappler, to boot. Fuck, I'm screwed if I try to beat 'em in those fields."

His eyes sharpened as Kaset prepped for another assault.

"Then I'll bet it on this. I ain't gonna lose because I'm weaker, dammit!"

Neoru suddenly took a stance for the first time: a low stance with shoulder-length and bent knees, a straight and hinged back, arms mimicking southpaw posture, hands open.

"He wants to give a grapple a shot, huh?"

Kaset rolled back his shoulders.

"Sure, kiddo, whatever you say…"

With that, Kaset advanced, arms in southpaw as he lunged. He was a leftie, who would've thought.

"That's right, you bastard… go ahead and see right through me…"

In all honesty, Kaset charged at Neoru at a speed he wouldn't've been able to react to in time.

And as such, Kaset slugged Neo with enough force to shatter a mountain. The blow echoed throughout the stagnant forest, rattling the trees and sending Neoru flying like a ragdoll.

That is to say, a paper ragdoll; Neo met the blow with no resistance, blind faith in his own durability combined with the lessened impact. He'd even begun jumping backward as the blow connected while turning his head ever-so-slightly, for extra measures.

"Did he…"

And Kaset noticed.

"… Still. That didn't soften the punch enough for you to get off scot-free," he noted as he stared at Neoru's limp body. "Doubt you can even stand straight after that."

And yet, Neoru was still ready to fight. He formed fists, one still in the soil, before he stood on shaky legs. He smirked.

"I ain't done yet."

Kaset sighed. "I guess not."

Neoru staggered forth before breaking out in a sprint, raising a fist.

Kaset raised one as well.

"Honestly, he did pretty good. And when it came to speed and power… it's downright insane how high he's jumped in just over a month…"

Neoru inched closer and closer, until he was but a meter from his mentor.

"But there's still one thing you still need, Neo."

And with one final war cry…

"And that… iS THAT FUCKING SAN-"

Neoru underhand-tossed the still-present soil straight into Kaset's face, like the bitch he was, before flipping back onto his throwing hand and, after focusing ki into his arm, rocketing himself into Kaset's sternum feet-first, staggering him.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN HOW STRONG YOU ARE!" he roared in a madness.

"IF YOU WANNA WIN, YOU DAMN-WELL BETTER MAKE SURE I'M DEAD!"

He pressed further, in order to kick himself off, and found himself unable to move.

"Oh come on," he mentally cursed, "What now?"

 _ **[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – show-no-feel (Start-0:38) ]**_

"I'll give you that much… It's not experience that you're lacking…"

Neoru noted the bits of ground below that had begun to… drift toward Kaset?

"At least, with fighting the average random asshole or martial artist… yeah, there's something there, all right… STILL."

Neoru was briefly freed from his mid-air hold before a Kiai knocked him away by his feet. After being sent flipping through the air like some kind of stick, the boy stuck what vaguely resembled a landing as he desperately struggled to get a hold onto the ground.

"Shit, where'd he go where the fuck did he go!?" his eyes darted frantically around as he searched for his master's position, only for Kaset to drop from above with a sudden meteor-like knee to the back of the head, force-feeding Neoru the same soil that he'd used to score his first genuine hit. Kaset stood back up and over Neoru.

"When it comes to ki, you're still green. We'll talk more when you wake up."

* * *

Neo woke up with his back against a tree.

The back of his head hurt like hell.

He knew why. Remembered the words which followed after it was hit, too.

Didn't stop him from banging it against the tree.

Kaset was preparing something by the fire before his pupil showed up.

"Hey, asshole." Neoru smugly greeted.

Kaset looked at Neo.

Neoru looked at Kaset.

* * *

"Good morning, Kaset." Neoru begrudgingly greeted, a curious knot atop his head.

"Why good morning, Neoru. How did you sleep?"

"OH, DON'T YOU… Kh… I slept good."

"How did you sleep well? I knocked you out."

"…"

"… Alright then, about yesterday."

Neoru took a seat after he stopped shaking.

"Starters. Yesterday was about knowing where you stood when it came to fighting. Honestly, you impressed me."

"You know me, I aim'na please…" Neo muttered.

"Still, you remember what I said before shit went dark?"

"When it came to ki, I'm still green? Guessing that means I'm inexperienced?"

"(Wow, surprised he guessed that first-try…) Yeah, exactly. See… if you knew just a bit more, you'd've been able to project your own aura and 'cancel out' my own's hold of you. You also would've been able to redirect yourself when I knocked you away, and sense me when I jumped above you."

"But I know how to do that."

"Wait, do what?"

"Y'know… aura, the sky dance, life-sensing..."

"Then why didn't- Oh, no, I get it."

Neoru frowned.

"Yeah."

"You know one of your weaknesses, then. Learning how to calm down should be easy, but if you knew a bit more, you'd still be able to do those well enough to not need a whole lotta concentration."

"Uh-huh. Also, what the hell's ki?"

"Wow, went this long with telling you? It's just Life Energy. Plants, Animals, anything with a pulse has got it, and anyone who goes outta their way to learn how to properly use it gets to do cool shit. If you don't even know the name for it, though-"

"It had names passed around like candy everywhere I went, so I just started callin' it 'Energy.' "

"… but that's so lame…"

"You're lame, let's change the subject already."

Kaset cleared his throat and dispelled the pain of his feelings being hurt as he got to the crux of his lesson.

"Your style seems like a mix-and-match of different pre-existing styles. Like, a punch from one school and a kick from another organization. But for the most part, the way you combine them is fluid, unpredictable. Hell, I even saw you try to lock me a few times during the session yesterday."

"Found stuff that kept me alive. Not much else to it, really."

"Yeah, yeah, and I can see that by how you fight. The problem is, it seems like it reaches a 'peak' after a while. As it drags on, you start getting more and more desperate, it looks like. And once it reaches that 'peak', you start stagnating. You start becoming readable."

Neoru raised an eyebrow. "So I need to learn how to settle things sooner?"

"No, that won't always be an option in this line of work. Even if you do everything in your power to cripple that fuck until he can't move a limb, fights are gonna drag out, more variables are gonna be introduced, stuff out of your control. Adaptation is a vital part of that, but you also need to know how to be less sloppy. In fact…"

 _ **[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – Heavenly Supreme Absolute Spear]**_

"What you need most – in ki, in technique, in everything – is refinement."

"Refinement, huh… I think I know how I'd manage that."

Kaset nodded.

"I'm only one dude, after all. There's an entire multiverse of fighters out there. Kick ass, get your ass kicked, and learn more about what you're doing from there."

Neoru stood. "Got it. Just keep doing what I've been doing, huh…"

"Oh, one last thing."

Neoru glanced back. "Eh?"

"Confidence. Not arrogance, but have a bit'a faith in what you can do. Goes a long way, trust me; fear's good, too, but don't let that shit cloud you."

"… Yeah, I'll be confident when I've got a reason to be…"

"Have fun at school!"

"What are ya, my dad now? Weird-ass."

* * *

 _Conton City._

 _... Hmm…_

 _Hmm…_

 _oh wow what a shock it still fucking su-_

 _ **[** **BGM** **: Shortie No Mass – Like This (0:10) ]**_

"And then he just fuckin' disappears, like that!" the human yelled. "No sense whatsoever! Like, where could he've even gone?"

Neoru nodded. "Uh-huh."

"It's not like he died or something! Musai just don't up-and die like that!"

"Oh, wow."

"Unless… aw shit, I think he mighta gotten murdered! I think THAT'S why he isn't back yet!"

"OK look, guy, I don't know what happened to 'em, but I know one thing's for sure."

"Yeah, what's that?" he sulked.

"You're in my damn seat."

"… oh."

"Dude, just fuckin' book it already. That 'Lid' guy sure as hell's not breaking his ass looking for ya right now, so what's the point in slobbering all over my desk waiting for 'em?"

"Y-yeah, yeah, I get it, just lemme grab my things…"

"I can help with that!" Zinco offered cheerfully, picking up the two supplies he had.

Otto smiled. "Gee, thanks kid."

Neoru shrugged and grabbed a book or two for the poor guy. "If it'll help you beat it…" he grumbled.

"Desk right over's good."

"Uh-huh. Jeez, why even come if you're only gonna bring, like, a pen and 2 books?"

"OK One-Pencil-and-Notebook, look who's talking?"

"Yeah but I've been here for a month or something, what about you?"

"Bit more than a year, feels like 3 for some reason, but that's beside the point!"

"Whatever, here's your shit." Neoru placed the guy's belongings to the other row. Zinco did the same.

"Another thing; the guy'll come back when he comes back. It's pretty stupid to stress your entire life for somethin' like that, so why bother sweating it?"

"… huh. Maybe. In any case, thanks."

"No problem, uh…"

"Otto. It's Otto."

Neoru nodded and returned to his seat.

Zinco hopped over to his.

"You got nicer!" he noted.

"You all just love saying weird shit outta the blue, don't ya?"

"But it's true! Back then, you would have gone:"

Zinco cleared his throat.

"BLEH! THIS IS MY SPACE! GET LOST, YA BAT TARD!"

"H-HOW THE HELL'D YOU GET YOUR VOICE LIKE THAT!?"

Zinco cheerfully shrugged.

Before Neoru could further contemplate Zinco's unholy ability, Krillin busted through the door.

"Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap-MORNING, GANG! HOW'S IT GOING!" he sputtered, struggling to get everything set up. "Look at me, a teacher that's tardy after… what, a MONTH of being here? Irony, am I right?"

Like, 7 people chuckled.

Progress.

"ANYWAY, I've got an interesting little history lesson for you all today!"

The projector switched on, showing an athletic, spiky-haired boy in an orange gi over a blue undershirt. With his flowing blonde hair, and his mean look accompanied by the crackling of plasma all around, he looked quite fierce. Anyone who wasn't silent promptly shut up, aside from the occasional awe-invoked gasp. A few girls longingly sighed, the fucking weirdos.

"Now, this period of time documents Son Gohan's explosion of anger against the villain, Bojack! While not particularly 'in-sync' with the primary timeline, it's still important that you know about stray timelines like this!"

He flipped the projector, which showed a myriad of different slides – each documenting a different instance of a buff dude knocking out one-or-more buff dudes, save one where a buff dude falls off some kind of poll – at once.

"Our story begins with the Interstellar Martial Arts Tournament, held by… a very special case… named Mr. Satan."

The slide flipped, revealing 4 contestants: the young man from before (albeit with blackened hair and a bubblier expression), a large round fellow in a black mawashi and a leather guard from his waist to his shoulder, the globe-headed maestro himself, and a familiar-though-younger lavender-haired man in a blue vest.

"While the details aren't THAT important-"

"Yeah, they are!"

Kora sighed.

"I'm at my fucking limit with you Archi-"

"TELL US! TELL US HOW THEY WON!" Archi shouted, shit-eating grin all the while. "WE'LL NEED THIS IF WE'RE EVER DEPLOYED! YOU CAN'T JUST CLASSIFY THIS STUFF!"

Krillin began shaking with rage.

"… A leg-sweep by Gohan, a back-hit by Trunks, a sumo push-out by Dosukoi, and… a forfeit-default by yours, truly."

"YOU CALL **THOSE** DETAILS!?"

"WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH TIME TOGETHER, YOU BRAT!" Krillin screeched, single pride-held tear hanging out his eye before properly clearing his throat.

"Ahem… moving on. The gang were due to face off against the challengers hailing from the Milky Way's different quadrants-"

"No seriously, which human INSISTED it be called the 'Milky Way?' You get to name a celestial body and the name you settle derives from what's basically Kaihouchi udder fluids?"

"Anything else you wanna add on to that, Mr. Rai`kento'pe?"

"… I never expected to ever get the chance, but honestly, I'd love to talk about how bizarre human ter-"

"So anyway, the winners were scheduled to meet these boneheads – who I'm positive were just hired punks in mascara – when things go array."

The slide flipped, showcasing 6 blue-skinned, orange-haired and intensely-humanoid figures in baggy clothing comparable to those of an old-age pirate's.

"The tournament was crashed in a big way by THESE guys, led by the even-worse Bojack! I was among the first of their victims, caught off-guard by their mesmerizing beauuuuvements and lightning-fast attacks! As it'd turn out, they were the last remnants of the evil Hera Clan, and were once sealed awa-"

"WHAT?"

Krillin almost snapped.

"KAMI'S SAKE, WHAT'LL IT TAKE FOR YOU PEOPLE TO STOP…. Interrupting…"

 _ **[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – DARK CLOUD ~ At the end of the road (2:51)]**_

Standing from her seat was a 5'8 girl with teal skin, orange and spiked hair coming off the sides of her head in chin-length strands, a frilled skirt over short leggings held by a cloth belt, a sleeveless vest not too dissimilar from the styles of the pirates upon the screen over a frilled undershirt, two large earrings, and very angry blue eyes directed at the short-term teacher.

"Oh… oh, that wasn't the best choice of words…"

* * *

Neoru was spacing out, leaning on the back of his chair. Maybe it was the fact that this entire session had been a monotonous sequence of interruptions which led nowhere.

Maybe it was how he really hadn't gone to sleep since he'd gotten here.

In any case, this one bitch was passionately ranting about how judgmental humans were. Was working his nerves something fierce.

"So, did you find what you were looking for, yet?" Zinco asked, making small-talk amongst the verbal violence as he doodled away at what looked like a 3rd Grader's times tables worksheet.

Neoru slowly looked over. "Huh? What're you… actually… you know, I think I did."

Zinco's eyes gleamed. "Really! Where was it?"

"Wasn't there."

"… What?"

"It was never there to begin with. Now I just know that I wanna find it. But first things first… I'm gonna get strong enough to find it on my own."

He chuckled to himself.

"Honestly, I gotta hand it to ya. I didn't realize it back then, but… when you said that 'I didn't need what I was looking for' you meant-HEY, SHITHEAD! NO ONE GIVES A RAT'S ASS, ALRIGHT!? JUST SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN BEFORE I THROW SOMETHIN' AT YA! Anyway, you meant this feeling I have, to want something to reach for, didn't you?"

Zinco, now holding his ears shut, looked absolutely befuddled.

"no."

Neoru slowly blinked.

"… You're a good kid, Zinc." He said to the yellow-gi'd boy.

"Thanks. you're not really, but you're getting there!"

His cheerful demeanor slowly shifted to one of intense worry.

 _ **[BGM: Baki OST – Approaching Shadow]**_

"...? What's with you all of a sudden? Just now realizing you broke your pencil?"

Neo noticed a reflection in his eyes, and turned.

"Oh."

Before him stood that very-same Hera girl that'd snapped off at Krillin's remark.

"What's up?" he asked dangerously.

"Hm? Do you have Alzheimer's or something?" she responded.

"… uh-"

She slammed a fist upon the table.

"You know what you just said, you shitty human. And on my planet, that's an invitation get pummeled."

"Alright look, ya sky-blue bitch, if you didn't want someone to tell your ass to zip it, maybe you shouldn't've-"

 _"Kick ass, get your ass kicked, and learn more about what you're doing from there."_

Neoru suddenly paused.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're starting to-"

"Yeah."

She raised an eyebrow.

"That's exactly what I'm looking for," he growled, slowly standing from his seat.

"Well, at least you're brave, 'little man,' " she mocked.

"You're like an inch taller than me, get fucked."

The two began to stare daggers, as if waiting for the other to make a move.

Zinco made it for them.

"!?"

"Oh, come the-"

"Neoru's sorry about hurting your feelings, miss!" he insisted, suddenly in front of the pugnacious pair, turning to Neoru to confirm.

"Aw, your boyfriend's come to save face!"

A violent puff of steam erupted from somewhere in the room. Was odd.

Neoru shrugged, a subtle grin lining his face. "Sorry."

Zinco took a sigh of relief. "(He actually said it…) 'Kay, it was nice meeting you, miss…"

"Mashii. And sorry, boy, but something like that just won't cut it with me. No, a lesson in pain is just what that jackass behind you needs. Besides…"

Neoru's subtle smirk wasn't subtle enough. But that was the point, wasn't it?

"I'm sure he feels likewise."

The smirk rolled up, revealing snide canines.

"Zinco, buddy, I getcha. But this is my mess. I'll handle it 'My Way'," he said, pulling him back by the shoulder. Well, tried, but settled with pulling himself in front of Zinco. "Besides, there's gonna be nooo hard feelings no matter how this turns out. That's why you hate violence, right bud?"

Zinco stepped back, thinking that notion over.

"It's like every human has that stupid 'bravado' in their heads. At least Saiyans usually back it up," Mashii snarled, face now dangerously close to Neoru's.

"Cut it out with that 'bravado' talk, dipshit. This is just what I'd call an 'Out of Class Learnin' Experience'."

"Then allow me to be your 'tutor'."

"will you two just shag already, god," Dina groaned from the row below. Oh yeah, she's here.

"Eh?" went Neoru before he was pushed back to arm's length by a flustered Mashii.

"I'll teach you 'Personal Space' while I'm at it, jeez…!"

"wait why the hell did I get so close in the first-"

* * *

Where was Krillin while this had transpired?

He'd curled into an embarrassment-riddled ball during the scolding.

Poor guy, he does his best. He'll get better at this!

* * *

The class was dismissed early that day. And like so, Mashii and Neoru took a trip to a stagnant timespace.

It was an endless field of grass, not much different from the one he'd seen soon after he'd come here. Difference being, this one was underneath a dark, deep-blue sky, as if they were fighting underneath the sea.

Neoru carefully removed his black, violet-marked Dragon vest, placing it inside his backpack after removing that as well before breaking himself in with stretches.

"Now, then…"

Mashii, several paces away from the explosive soul before her, slowly took up a stance. Her hands seemed to mystically double in mesmerizing movements, before falling to her side with drawn-back elbows, taking one, heel-raised and toetip-first step forth with a right foot before leaving it in that exact position. And with that, her aura exploded forth.

"It's time for a lesson in pain that you won't forget, you disrespectful earthling bastard."

Neoru got up from his thorough stretching and looked down to his hand.

"Calm down."

He made a fist, locking eyes with his foe. And he, too, let burst his aura.

"Yeah, I'd better not forget."

Mashii smiled.

Then grinned.

Then her irises disappeared as she grit her teeth.

The last thing Neoru saw was her foot charging full-speed toward him…

Before he dodged.

"!"

 _ **[BGM: Baki OST – Baki, The Theme of Love (Extended) ]**_

She'd gone right over him. Twisting around mid-air, she let loose a roundhouse kick aimed at his dome; instantly, Neoru guarded with a forearm.

"I… I can move THIS fast!?" Neoru asked himself. Both quickly gained distance, giving their respective attacked/attacking limbs a shake.

"Good thing that wasn't an all-out kick… but…"

Neoru was still shaking his arm, albeit much more casually as he stared Mashii down.

"What the HELL is that arm made of!? No… what did he put it through for it to become so sturdy!?"

Mashii scoffed and raised her arms over her head, causing a drift of wind to soar above her before making another move. Neoru began moving low in wait, before she disappeared. His eyes darted to the side, cartwheeling himself over a dagger-like side kick and indenting Mashii's face with a downward heel.

"Sure likes to rely on that movement…" he said to himself, bringing his foot down to the grass and following up his attack by shooting forward with a side back-kick to further knock her off-balance. Ever-so-slightly quicker on her feet, she swayed to the side and delivered a spin kick as a retort, which Neoru dove under after quickly reeling his foot back in by thrusting himself downward with his ki.

"THERE!"

He suddenly charged full-speed for a takedown, blasting back the grass behind him, only to be smacked with Mashii's other foot…

"Don't get too impatient! This fight's-"

…and struck in the side with a straight elbow.

"-ONLY JUST BEGINNING!"

"Gy-!"

Neoru tried a snap kick while she was still in his range, which was swiftly dodged by the blue bombshell. She moved in for the finishing blow, only for her kick to go right through him.

"Afterim- she began, before directing her attention to the sky.

" 'lright, let's give this a shot…" he channeled his ki toward his hands and two ki blasts full-force toward the grassland below.

The resulting impact could make a meteor blush.

His eyes widened in shock. "holy shit, I can do that now?" the ronin muttered before redirecting himself to the fight at hand and charging up one final ki blast.

The dust began to settle before Mashii shot from the plume.

"What was THAT supposed to be? She smirked as she rapidly ascended toward Neoru's presence. She prepared a palm and, at the last second, found a ball of ki where Neoru should've been.

"A-ARE YOU KIDDING…!" she stammered, shifting her gaze toward ground-floor and finding the shit-eating grin of a fluffspike-haired asshole giving her the finger.

The blast exploded, causing enough damage to tick her off.

"YOU DIRTY LITTLE-" she snarled before clashing with him across the greenery, dispelling the aerial debris. Mashii broke away and went in with her favored method of attack, only much quicker than the last skirmish. But that was the thing…

"I can see them!" he mentally logged, parrying, blocking, and dodging her picture-perfect, graceful attacks while responding with his own, each one with just a tad more force than the last as he started noticing more and more exploitable flaws. Grass decorated the air with every forceful step and slide, both taking hits that shook the ground beneath them.

She sidestepped at a speed that mimicked teleportation, but her torque-fueled kick was met by an upward variant from off the ground.

"They're fast, but… I can see them!"

He bounded over another by throwing himself up via handstand, before kneeing the ever-loving shit out of her back while she was occupied with the pain in her shin.

"I'M 'BREAKING THROUGH'!"

He dove in with a barrage while Mashii was still recovering, several blows breaching her guard as she stumbled back before knocking her off her feet with an aggressive sweep kick.

"SHIT, NO!" Mashii cursed under her breath as she fell over.

He went aerial before landing on top of her, his eyes shaking as he grew more desperate to make this the end of the battle.

She put up her guard before being battered with consecutive, unrelenting, and hammering punches. At this point, Neoru's sight was a blur. The last time he'd fought with someone that wasn't Kaset with THIS intensity, he was fighting for his life.

As Neoru's blows thundered down, two phalanxes hit him square in the eyes. He staggered back before getting knocked onto his side. Mashii flipped back until she was comfortably away from him.

"Gee, that was quite violent," she sneered, spitting blood as she panted. "I thought humans had codes against treating girls so rough…"

"Holy shit, will you just shut up about that?" Neoru barked, clearing the blood from his eyes as his eyes deblurred. "I don't give a damn what I am, stop lumpin' me in with every random a-hole off the corner already!"

Mashii shrugged. "I mean, you humans love doing just that with every stray race you come across… so why not return the favor with you?"

"TCH-THE FUCK UP!" he abruptly threw a blast in Mashii's general direction. She didn't even need to dodge for it to sail behind her, illuminating the area and casting hard shadows.

"I don't care about who you are, or who I am."

He squeezed his eyelids shut once more, wiping away any dirt or liquid polluting them before setting his sights on Mashii once more.

"All I see right now, is a wall... and I'm breaking it."

Mashii stared him down, before erupting into laughter. Neoru took the time to calm down.

"Fuck, it happened again. I got carried away…"

"I've given you enough to fuel that frail human ego, I think."

Neoru looked back.

"Wha?"

"It's high-time to break _you_."

Mashii's earrings suddenly glowed.

 _ **[BGM: Blue Exorcist OST – Exorcist]**_

And out of nowhere, she bulked up QUICK. Her hair changed color, flaring a dark crimson – giving Neoru some light PXMD – and her power swelled.

Neoru's eyes took up most of his face.

"… Huh-"

A fist with the force of a planet lodged into his abdomen.

And as a shockwave violently uprooted every blade of grass behind him within view, Neoru learned of a new, funny little noise that he could make.

The sheer force of the punch sent him skidding backwards. Before he could collect himself, the shadow of a sledgehammer eclipsed him.

"SHIT-"

He'd thrown his upper body downward right before it slammed into him in a vain attempt to evade the hit with a somersault, resulting in his body taking the appearance of a crescent while his face smacked into the ground. His leg was grabbed with enough PSI to make scrap out of titanium, as he was slammed into the opposite side. His senses were in an absolute state of chaos; everything moved, everything hazed, everything crashed, all he smelled was iron, all he tasted was iron, and all he felt was pure blunt trauma.

Mashii flung him away by the leg after the slam, Neoru's body lifelessly flailing through the air and landing with a pathetic thud.

She held out three fingers.

"3. That's all I needed to end things."

The muscle-packing war goddess arrogantly dusted off her hands.

"Next time, think before you speak."

Before she could definitively claim victory, a fist struck the ground.

The corpse staggered back to life.

Its mouth dripped with the red, viscous fluid that reminded it of its existence.

Nearly every instinct within told him to book it. To run. Hide. Play dead.

Except one. One that'd lately been louder than the others.

It told them to shut their fucking mouths, and let it fight.

Why?

"I'M."

It hobbled onto its feet.

"STILL."

He formed a fist in the hand which still lingered.

"KICKING."

And there stood Neoru. Shaking, fear at an all-time high. Yet standing.

"Seriously? Any more and you'll be dead. Don't you know when to give up, moron?"

Against his body's demands, he smirked. " 'Course I do… 's why I ain't…"

Annoyed more than angered, she returned to her blue-skinned and somewhat-skinny form, scoffed, and turned.

"Whatever, I'm done with you. You can stand there and cry for all I care, you're hopeless."

A ki blast smacked her head from behind. He sure-as-hell threw that one decently.

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME, MASHII!"

Mashii stood in place. Shaking.

"…"

She rebulked, hair reddened, power resurged.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT!" she roared at the intrepid, insignificant human, charging full-speed and full-power at him with a fist raised.

 _ **[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – BLAZE_Final_Version (1:59) ]**_

Neoru couldn't see her. He just knew what she was gonna do. And so, his arms raised with open palms.

In this form, there was none of that grace, or elegance, or whatever like her base form had. She just rushed in because she could.

He didn't care how hard this next punch was gonna be. Hell, in that moment, he no longer cared if he lived or died.

Thoughts of that animal that sent his world to hell in a brimstone-laced handbasket flashed within his mind. That feeling of running, of hiding, of facing it with a false bravery that shattered the moment those eyes laid sight on him.

And they dispelled with an ungodly straight to his face. He lost consciousness instantly.

Yet his soul, laced with his own will, raged on.

"WHAT THE-"

He grabbed on to her arm. Legs crossed around her neck with every shred of strength left within him.

"RAAAAAH~!" a dragon's reverb sounded along with him, waking him up.

His eyes blazed. A violent energy burned around him

He couldn't win. Absolutely not, this difference was too high and he was too damn stupid to keep focused from the get-go. Once she had him rattled, she won.

But he wasn't giving up; if nothing else, he was taking a fucking arm with him.

And take an arm he did.

 **SNAP!**

He fell like a rock after that. Mashii gripped her arm, snapped in two by the surprise armbar out of nowhere. Yet as her eyes lured over to the gasping human, she was overcome with another feeling.

"Ha. Hahahaha… HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Absolute awe.

"You… you are un-fucking-believable, you know that? You're a damn psychopath!" she giggled hysterically through the pain with a smile gripping her face, her blood racing.

"not bad… yourself…" he moaned, fading in-and-out of consciousness.

She sighed. "You're all so stubborn. How come? Why don't you ever stop?"

Neoru didn't respond. He just raised a fist and weakly smiled.

"I am… so much stronger…" the last echoes in his mind before things began fading for the last time.

Mashii walked over, dropping his backpack onto his stomach.

"Gee, I've still got a long way to go…" she muttered, looking skyward.

"That said…"

She grabbed his still-raised arm.

"I'm way too petty to just let the arm-thing go. Sorry~"

Neoru's eyes shot open.

Mashii innocently grinned.

She took a sharp, quick inhale before-

"HAA-"

.

.

* * *

 _Conton City has a convenient way of fixing up those who enter a "duel scenario" with another._

 _In these instances, after the battle concludes with a declaration of defeat or a 10-second period of unconsciousness, the two are taken to a "fix-up dimension" similar to the resident ER, complete with the CT variant's tech. They remain until injuries are taken care of, and the patroller is 100% restored!_

 _Neoru wished he'd known about this sooner._

 _ **[BGM: Oddisee – Social Insecurity]**_

In any case, fix-up took about two hours, and the star in the sky was beginning to lower itself. His arm still ached, though, because a human's mind is an asshole.

"Neoru!" Zinco yelled, meeting up with the self-neglecting dragon boy.

"Wazzup?" he mumbled.

"I learned that people like Mashii can make their earrings glowy, and then they get kinda bigger and their hair looks redder and-"

Neoru chuckled. "Zinco. Buddy. I know."

"… how?"

" 'Cus I fought a 'people like Mashii,' dumbass. Got my shit pushed in, too. Good times."

Zinco pouted. "Why do things that get people hurt?"

"It ain't exactly fun, y'know, but you can't just punch a board all day an' expect to get better at what you're doin'." Neoru slung his arms around the back of his head. "Besides, this kinda livin's what I know best. Sucks, but it works."

"Is that so?"

Neoru and Zinco's heads swiveled to the side.

Mashii was wearing a cap and sunglasses for some reason.

"Then again, you definitely fight like someone who's put their life at stake before," she said, sipping some iced tea. "So the name's Neoru?"

"Whaddayo want?" Neoru growled.

"Hey, hey, what's with the tone?" she jokingly threw up a hand.

Neoru rubbed his shoulder, teary expression and all.

Mashii nervously scratched her cheek. "Oh. Yeah. Wasn't in the best mood when I did that, with the, uh, breaking my arm, and all. Sorry."

"Y-YOU BROKE HER ARM!?" Zinco stammered.

"yeah, break some half-dead guy's arm will ya…" he muttered under his breath, before sighing.

"SH-SHE BROKE YOUR ARM!?" Zinco stammered.

"Eh, I was still kicking. Can't blame ya for returning the favor too much. Besides," Neoru added, ignoring Zinco's self-answering question, "At the end'a the day, you showed me some shit I need ta work on."

"Same here. The first time I've ever fought someone who moved like you. Honestly…"

She tilted her head a bit.

"For a while, it was pretty fun!"

The two boys looked toward each other, as if asking if either knew what she meant.

"But I was trying ta beat the shit outta you."

"And I, you! Seriously, learn to loosen up!" she shrugged walking off. "Honestly, I didn't know I could enjoy myself in a fight until I met you."

"Oh, one more thing."

"Eh?"

"Sorry about those remarks I gave you during the battle. You gave me something to think about. Regarding humans."

She turned back.

"You're one rude asshole, but it's in a sincere way. One that'd hit the same with anyone. You never mocked me for who I was, and… even called me by my name. Thanks for showing me that side of humanity. I think I needed it."

"… Oh. You're welcome, I guess." Neoru wasn't aware that something so basic was worth any lauding.

With that, Neoru strolled toward the end of his day.

"People can have fun in fights?" Zinco asked him once more.

Neoru concurred with the sentiment.

"Fuckin' weird, right?"

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pri-**_

Mashii suddenly heelturned.

"WAITIFORGOTTOASKYOUABOUTTHEPURPLE…"

"Aura… thing…"

"… And he's gone."

 **Can I end the chapter already? Fuck**.

"Yah, I'm just… dammit…!"

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pride]**_

* * *

 **Yo! OP here!**

 **You think Neoru and Koga from Kengan Omega would be good drinking buddies? But instead of beer, it's like, mineral water and protein shakes.**

 **Anyway, those kind government folk let me out after a while. Nothing serious, I just had a bad case of Ligma.**

 **LAUGH, FUCKING LAUGH, I SPENT WEEKS ON THAT JOKE YOU BETTER FUCKING LAUGH-**

 **Ahem. So, big boy chapter today. Like, 8.8k on the chapter alone. That's mostly because of the fight scenes; I like making them somewhat-elaborate and still cool to read. I'm gonna try to add one in every chapter, physical or otherwise, in preparation for the exam tournament! Confession: I add the featured songs while I proofread/finalize; in reality, I'm hopped up on Baki AMVs. Cus some of that shit goes hard. Last note regarding these, but watching martial arts movie fights and actual MMA fights helps a lot when getting in the fight scene mindset, just gotta r** **emember that the story has those Wuxia elements and that I have to USE them to make the fight even cooler.**

 **That "Otto" guy? He's a pretty cool character from a great fanfic called** **I grew attached to called "Rise Up." Just a personal sendoff to something that'll never be finished. Doubt you're reading this, Knightium... but if you are, that was one sick fic, my guy. Motivated me to finally express the concepts in my soul with this. Thanks.**

 **Watched all of Thunderbolt Fantasy. It is, indeed, one of the greatest things since sliced bread. Watch it, it's the coolest, most engaging puppet show of all time, and it has soul in spades.**

 **Read Vagabond. It's top-3 All-time manga. Read it, it's got life lessons.**

 **Closing thoughts, but I feel like there were things missing from this chapter that should've been added. Small things that could've did just a bit more to improve things. But shit, I've kept you all waiting for kong enough (It corrected "long" to "kong" but I'm gonna leave it like that) and sweating small stuff helps no one. I'm happy with this, just don't expect every new chapter to be this long. (ok so not THAT time, huh?) Next one has a high chance of being a Dina chapter, so that'll be sick.**

 **I noticed that Neoru has shit luck with girls. Like, 3 have beaten the shit out of him and he put 2 in critical condition... odd.**

 **OH, ONE MORE THING. Neoru and Zinco's confusion over the prospect of having fun during a fight. Just... remember that. It's building to something... U.**

 **Stay safe, guys.**

 **That's about it. See ya.**


	29. Dina's Facade Withers?

Beep!

Beep!

Beep!

"mmh…"

Beep!

Beep!

Beep!

"ngh…"

BEEP!

 **BEEP!**

 _ **BEEP!**_

"... uh, who cares…"

It was only after the alarm threatened to rupture her eardrums that she decided to roll over and shut it off.

She checked the clock. Still 2 hours before school.

"Who even cares…" Dina sighed, rubbing her eyes and readying herself.

* * *

 **[WEEKS PRIOR]**

* * *

Ayeva looked over a holographic data set, supporting her indecisive visage with a bent wrist.

"… For someone like her, it's optimal… but why does it look like… so much?"

She sighed.

"This'd be simpler if you'd stop babying people… she won't get any stronger if you keep this up… but what if she over-does things…"

"Wus' this about?" asked Dina out of nowhere.

Ayeva had a soft reboot.

"uh, Ms. Ayeva?"

She bolted back upwards.

"I'M… running through a new regimen for you."

Dina's eyes glittered. "Oh, Ms. Ayeva, you spoil me!" she cried before getting a closer look.

"… oh… that's quite a workload…"

"I wanted to give it more thought before revealing it, but… here you are, so… (when did you even learn the door's code!?)"

Dina further inspected. While the amount of individual sets had dropped (300 pushups instead of 500, yipee), the sheer volume of exercises within a set had shot up from before.

For example, pushups were no longer confined to standard up-and-down with squared arms; Diamond, Explosive, even a few of which she'd never heard of. Ayeva'd also added pullups, planking, a plethora of equipment-centric training including stuff like weights and elastic bands, stretches, explosive movements, detailed footwork routines, and she'd already began sweating by the time she reached the bottom.

"And this'll all be under levels of pressure that make the midnight zone feel like a leisurely stroll across the moon, right… oh, joy."

"Don't worry. I was positive it'd be too much for someone like you, so I began work on a-"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dina retorted, light offense in her inflection. Ayeva predicted as such.

"From what I've seen, you're driven to go all-out for shorter periods than most, before you bring things to a close yourself. It's nothing to scoff at, in fact I believe more people should follow suit."

The half-breed's eyes sharpened.

"But I could go higher, yeah?"

That, she didn't quite see coming.

"It's not certain, but…"

"That makes things easier!" she smirked. "Then I'll do it!"

Ayva hesitated for a moment. Then tightened her expression and nodded.

"Nothing higher until you're ready. Rest when needed. And no turning back."

Dina gave a thumb up. "Count on it!"

She almost dropped dead the first day.

"From what I've collected, this 'kipping' method you're using decreases potential adenosine triphosphate produced by approximately-"

"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

"Your posture's dwindling. If you begin to lean toward your dominant hand-"

"I GET IT, ALRIGHT?"

"Your knees are extending over your feet. Your form's melting-"

"WHY DOES IT EVEN MATTER!?"

"Your arms should fall to rest in a controlled manner. Stopping and lifting at incomplete angles will-"

"BLOODY FUCKIN' 'ELL, WHO CARES!?"

"You're wasting too much movement. Focus."

"… THA… TH… THE FUCK DOES 'AT EVEN MEAN, MATE?"

* * *

 **[PRESENT DAY, PRESENT TIME]**

* * *

Lights flickered on, illuminating the chamber in a dim hue.

"Odd. She's usually around at this hour…"

Dina shrugged, amped up the gravity by x40, briefly staggered a bit before quickly recovering her upright posture, and got to it.

But something was off.

"Why do I… feel so heavy?" she asked herself, strength beginning to wane after she raised herself from the 90th pushup.

"Did I screw up the G-output or something?" she once-more internally questioned, struggling with a 500kg dumbbell.

Before her spar, she went to check the terminal.

"Nope, still x40… oh of course, moron, I'm still fatigued after yesterday. No wonder I feel so drained."

So, she dialed back the gravity to x20, switched on D.I.A.N.A, readied herself, and got destroyed.

Every move she made felt annoyingly sluggish, even under gravity she'd far surpassed. On the other hand, her mechanical double moved with explosive aggression and hit like a truck on crystal nitromethane, with just as much speed behind her blows. Even when Dina DID land the occasional strike, it left little impact, as if she were pulling her punches.

"Am I doing this on purpose!?" she raged at herself as she dodged a right-jab from D.I.A.N.A before exchanging a straight punch.

One was knocked to the ground. The other briefly shook.

The former yelled "PIE!" and the latter halted in its tracks.

"Oh, to hell with it! I'm finished!" she stormed out the room, kicking and denting the wall on the way out.

She grimaced down toward a clenched fist, clamming her eyes shut.

"… what's WRONG with me today?"

* * *

 _ **[OP: My First Story – King and Ashley]**_

 **Comrades in Suffering! Dina's Facade Begins to Wither!?**

* * *

Another beautiful day in Conton City.

Sun was shining, birds were singing… wherever they were… and people were doing people things. As people do.

"It just feels… so impossible, y'know? I keep going up to her, and I'm RIGHT there, but all of a sudden my mouth just will not open, y'know?"

"…"

"I KNOW, I KNOW, but… what if myself isn't good enough? What if she isn't feeling what I'm feeling, y'know?"

"…"

"Oh, you're just saying that because you're nice…"

"… …. …. . … … … … … … … … … … . … …. …. …. … … ….. … ! …"

"… Y'know… you're right. YOU'RE RIGHT."

The lynx-like boy slapped his face.

"I have to at least try! Even if only ONE of her 60 consciences are into me, I have to take my shot and see it through!"

"…"

"T-THANKS! I FEEL LIKE I NEEDED THAT, Y-Y'KNOW!?" he wept, giving his comrade's geometric construct a high-five.

On a nearby bench, Dina stared blankly at the gesture. A month-or-two had gone by, and she still wasn't used to such commonplace sights.

Though there was the slim chance she was hallucinating it, what with what she'd just endured. 40x gravity had sufficiently made her its bitch, with much love from D.I.A.N.A. That wasn't the worst of it, however… lately, Ayeva had added quite the demanding procedures to her after-school to-do list.

She had almost stopped giving a damn about Kora in that timeframe. What she'd affectionately deemed the "Sunfall Routine" wasn't EVERYDAY, no that'd be suicide and 3 days of the week were more than enough, but everything on her body felt an inch away from ripping apart after said routine, and by the time she'd recover, it was time for another round of the exercise in will.

 _ **[BGM: Lewis Parker – Eyes of Dreams (Instrumental)]**_

"What would even happen if I just stopped and accept that the prick was right? A BIT more humiliation to add on top of the mountain I already carry? Would this tripe even amount to anything? Even if it did, what then? Find some other random bloke who knocks me flat on my ass, and have this hellish cycle repeat itself?"

"Why am I even here? Why can't I just go…"

"Home…"

"…"

"Kora's a big stupid meat crevice with legs who had the audacity to humiliate me, and if I'm not able to give her what for by the time of this tournament or whatever, I very may-well explode."

With that reestablished, Dina weakly chuckled to herself. "God, if I keep those up, I'm gonna look like one'a those musclebound freaks posing on TV…" she joked, granting herself a tad of levity.

Someone abruptly plopped themselves on the other side of the bench, like how one with sore arms would drop a sack of potatoes. She glanced over.

"… What are _you_ so glum about?"

The boy next meter across's eyes lit up as if he'd heard the horns of the apocalypse, before they slumped back down in fatigue.

"Aw for- not right now, asshole. I'm not in the mood," Neoru hissed through strained breath.

Dina scoffed. "You talk as if you've just been through a great deal."

"Yeah, so what if I have? Got somethin' to say about it?"

"Hah. Bet you'd keel over and sob if you had to endure what _I've_ put myself through. Get over yourself, sissy."

"Oh, get fucked, you don't know what it's like to 'EnDuRe' until ya do what I do," he retorted, mocking her accent.

" 'sat a fact? You were still able to walk, that alone speaks volumes, ya Nancy."

"Hey, I EARNED the power to walk after that shit, you're breathin' WAY too easy to start gettin' big-headed, pal."

"Well, I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW that I've fashioned myself a pair of iron bloody lungs through blood, sweat, and oh so many tears, summer boy." She stuck out her tongue. "Pansy."

"Hey, bitch, you keep talkin'a me like that and I'll… uh…"

Neoru began spacing out.

"… You'll what?"

"… I dunno-I'll... find somethin' to throw at you or somethin'..."

Dina briefly paused, realizing how absolutely ridiculous this entire argument was, and faintly laughed.

"Two sad sods competing in a Hardknock-athon for a prize no one wants in the middle of nowhere, what a joke…" she lulled.

"Apologies for that needless bit of 'boasting'," Dina continued, "Just slowly losing my own plot, is all."

Neoru raised a brow.

"Oh, so apologising IS a thing you do?"

"You say that as if you know for a fact I'm some sort of snide, uppity little brat!"

"Yeah well, you sure as hell don't seem like the type to own up. Like, you could drive over a cripple on his porch and still find a way to blame him."

Dina fake gasped, hand-on-chest and all. "How dare! For your information, he'd at least have to be on the sidewalk for me to think of doing something so heinous!"

Neoru rolled his eyes with a faint smile.

"… So, what **do** you do, anyway?"

She put a finger to her chin. "Few hundred pushups, light ton-based weight lifting, a spar with a mirror image of myself – like shadow boxing, but you and your shadow are having a domestic dispute – involves some footwork and cardio work, all that rubbish... all under 40x gravity. And that's just the morning routine."

"That sounds like nothing, what's gravity?"

Dina gave Neoru a look.

"Have a feeling they'll eventually get to that in school, but in Layman's terms, I'm doing all that but I'm wearing a pair of invisible cars as decorative hats."

"Bullshit."

"Oh, screw you, I'm far too tired to make up something like that on the spot!" Dina huffed, puffing away a bang. "Now what's on YOUR schedule then, hot shot?"

"I'm on, like… 5… thouuu… dammit, I can't remember that one. A-am I even thinkin' of a word right now?"

"Thousand? You wanna say thousand, yeah?"

"OH, SICK, SO I DO REMEMBER THEN! Yeah, I'm doing 5000 pushups – sometimes it's on my hands, sometimes it's knuckles, sometimes it's fingers, handstands, whatever he feels like givin' me that day, I guess – then 5000 upside-down crunches, conditioning with these weird fuckin' trees that are made outta stuff that makes steel look like pillows you wouldn't believe-"

"Conditioning? Whaddo you mean by that?"

"At best, you punch and kick something for, like, hours on end, it sucks."

"Oh, sounds like proper torture, that does."

"Yeah now lemme finish, ya… anyway, Kaset's adding stupid shit like standin' on the tips of spikes over vats of 'ki' that'll apparently rip me apart if I stop focusin' and fall in (doubt it, but no way in Hell I'm gonna call that crazy asshole's bluff), but other than that, I climb with heavy shit, I drag around heavy shit - we're talkin', cars-worth of weight, it sucks – and I lift, like, these things called 'tons' dunno what those are but they're heavy as all hell-"

"Tons are units of weight, love."

"Quit fuckin' cuttin' me off, sheesh… but after that, I run."

Dina held her temple. "Oh yeah, I guess all that sparring I do substitutes as cardio, somewhat, haven't really given old-fashioned jogs the time of day. How much?"

"50 laps, 25 to-and-fro, toward this tree that's about the size'a this entire city, and tall as two stacked mountains, it's insane. Always looks like I can hold in my hand from where I start, though. Oh, and Kaset throws somethin' at me if I ever stop before I'm done or pass out."

"… THE BLOODY HELL, THAT'S NOT TRAINING! THE CRAZY BASTARD JUST WANTS YOU DEAD!"

Neoru chuckled before clutching his abdomen in pain. "I know, right?"

He sighed, smiling.

 _ **[BGM: Tsutchie – Thank You]**_

"But it's workin.' I don't know how, but… I'm getting over it. Until we got started, I had no idea I could do half the crap I know I can now. Honestly, I didn't know I could survive any of it… but here I am."

"… if I may… why subject yourself to such a thing?"

"Because I wanna be able to stand on my own, without forcing anyone to step in. Once I'm there, when I'm strong, I'm gonna find something to give me reason. And it'll be something kickass, too, like, there's no way in hell I'm gonna settle on knitting shit until I croak."

Dina giggled, and so did Neoru…

"what's-wrong-with-knit-ting, ya bastard?"

"like just find more clothes, ya boring dumbass!"

…before he reflected the question.

"What about you? Why are you doing what you do?"

She stopped, her smile fading.

"I… Uh… know that one girl who's always pickin' fights with me?"

"Dunno. There's this one… whaddaya call 'em… eh who gives a shit, that one girl you're always going at, you mean her?"

"(Knew what I meant, you little smart aleck…) Kora, yeah. Well, one day, a month or so back, she thrashed me in front of half the city, the prick. I didn't quite like that, so in short, I wanna be stronger so that I can pay her back in kind by shoving my boot RIGHT UP HER POMPOUS-"

Dina lurched over. "Ah, shit, that smarts…"

"Looks like she's still kinda kickin' yer ass," Neoru smirked.

"Ugh, bigger off with the metaphorical drivel."

"I mean, if the only reason you're putting yourself through this shit is one person… is it really a metaphor?"

"…"

Dina rolled her eyes.

"You don't know what gravity or a ton is, yet the literary device is what you're familiar with? Your education pisses me off."

"Hey, if you need to change the subject, I won't press."

"I DON'T NEED TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT, YOU TWIT."

"Touchy…" Neoru critiqued through his teeth, hands up like she was holding him at knifepoint.

" 'Course I'm 'touchy' " she retorted, mocking Neoru's slightly-deeper voice, "My entire body aches like a mother at the moment. Besides, that sort of conversation is boring. We could use a shift in subject, if anything!"

"I mean, you're technically the one who brought it up, but-"

"ENOUGH OF THAT! I've got one!"

"(I'm gonna tear one'a these bricks outta the ground and chuck it at ya, I swear…)"

"So then, found anyone who's taken to your fancy, yet?"

"Eh?"

"You know, interested in anyone? Like, a girl, perhaps? Or maybe you swing from a different vine, what with those fiery effeminate eyes of yours and such."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Compliment, mate. Compliment."

"Oh. Ok, well, I guess there's this one weird girl. Red hair almost as long as she is tall, two ponytails off her back, real wavy-like clothes-"

"MY WORD, YOU'VE GOT A THING FOR THE GIRL WHO WRECKED YOUR SHIT IN FIRST PERIOD THAT ONE TIME!?"

"What? The he'll're you talkin' about? Wait a- You piece'a shit, you know that ain't what I meant! I just wanna know how she does what she does, that's it!"

" 'Does what she does' yeah? Oh, Neo-Boy, you're making this too easy for me!" Dina teased, Neoru turning away from her in a huff.

"D'aww~ you must be shy! You precious little thing, you! Though I never took you for the BDSM type… or was it those luscious locks that did it for you? Exotic factor, perhaps? Or maybe you're just a sucker for cuties? Oh, the possibilities are-"

"WHATEVER, JUST DROP IT ALREADY YA FREAK!"

"HAH! NOW who's quick to change the subject?" Dina triumphantly asked.

"OH-OH FUCK YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S TWISTIN' MY WORDS!"

"And YOU'RE the one giving me words to twist! And with little effort on my part, might I add! Admit it, something's there that makes your heart skip a beat!"

"SHE TRIED TO KILL ME, DUMBASS!"

"AND I BET THAT TURNED YOU ON LIKE A LAMPLIGHT!" Dina coyly shouted before letting the words properly sink in.

"wait she did what?"

Neoru was bright-red for some reason.

"Y-yeah, long story, it's resolved, who the hell cares," he swallowed. "Move on."

"Sure, murder's not exactly my comedic forte. Ok, I've got one."

"Screw that, I'm shiftin' it this time, weirdass."

Dina huffed. "Whatever, prude."

"Ok, Got one. That guy…"

 _ **[BGM: Tsutchie – Pretending To…]**_

He pointed toward a large, bear-faced fellow with a furred, hoodless button-up jacket, donning a freakish plasma hybrid between a claymore and a battle hammer, currently chugging down what resembled marmite over by a vendor.

"Or…"

His finger drifted toward a smaller, four-armed fellow in a robe-esque gi with plated skin and two sheaths around his waist, a blade in each, currently making a portrait for someone.

"Thhhat guy, who wins?"

"Isn't it obvious? Bear bloke takes it without much of a fight."

"Wait, whaddaya mean 'without much of a fight?' "

"I mean look at the bugger, he's massive. What's 4-arms over there gonna do?"

"Bear guy makes a swing, 4-arms dodges and hacks him apart during the window. That's a thing."

"Yeah, sure, but what makes you think Bear over there is slow enough for that? He could swing that… what even is that, regardless, he could swing that weapon over there like a sodding flyswatter for all you know, and he has the muscle to make it happen, right?"

"I guess, but he's gonna gas himself before long. Look at the other guy, all he needs to do is bide his time and hang low, out of his range, and he negs it."

"Alright, but you're forgetting something. Ki."

"What about Ki?"

"I mean, now that everyone and their mother's well-equipped with the stuff, we can't exactly judge books by their covers anymore, yeah? What you're getting at is that Grizzles won't be able to keep up, but ki lets him close the gap easily. Just move faster and you've got the edge."

"It's still not that simple. Look at 4-arms again. Look at how he's using that brush. He's got technique, he's got precision, and by how he's holding that paint mid-air, he's got ki down to a science, too. Even if Bears is stronger, Art Guy could just see through him and counter his moves. Then what?"

" 'Course, I guess, but look at Fur's scars for a second. That's battle damage, so he's been at this for a while, I'd reckon. He's DEFINITELY fought more than the scrub in a dress over there, yeah?"

"Could be that he just sucks at fighting, and Art Guy doesn't."

"Now you're just making baseless claims, mate. We'll be here for days if you keep that up."

"… What does bas-"

"Bloody- If you can't prove it, why make the statement? I'M making educated guesses, you're countering them with bogus that you're pullin' out of your arse."

"You're the one who started that crap with the 'Ki' shit, though!"

"… You know what, fine, I'll play your game. Art Guy has low blood sugar and several diseases from the get-go, Smokey stomps. You can't prove me wrong."

"OK, jackass, Bear guy has gangrene and his legs are broken, that's why he's sittin' down. Art Guy slaps him no diff."

"Fourzies has a kidney stone before the fight begins because he's dehydrated, can't prove me wrong, Coat Bloke executes 'im."

"HE GETS HIT BY A FUCKING METEOR IN THE LOCKER ROOM, ART GUY WINS BY DEFAULT."

ART GUY IS CONVICTED OF PLAGERY AND IS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON, BEAR WINS BY DEFAULT."

"BEAR GUY FRAMED HIM LIKE HE FRAMED ALL THE ART HE STOLE, ART GUY GETS OUT AND BURNS HIS DAMN HOUSE DOWN, NO DIFF!"

"BEAR GUY JUMPS OUT THE WINDOW AND CATCHES HIM THE ACT AND GOBS THE BASTARD IN THE FACE, KILLING 'IM INSTA-"

"-NO, NO, HE BREAKS HIS HEAD OPEN BECAUSE HE BROKE HIS GANGRENE LEGS JUMPING OUT THE WINDOW AND DI-"

"-NO HE EXPLODES BECAUSE OF HIS DISEASE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS YOU-"

The two idiots both erupted into stupid fits of laughter.

"-ACTUAL FUC-KING BRAINLET-"

"-K-ILL-YOURSE-"

After a drawn-out stretch of giggles, they collectively sighed.

"No, you've got a point. We can't really tell anything from here," Dina conceded.

"Yeah, only way to see is if I fight 'em each and see for myself."

Dina slowly cranked her head over to Neoru.

"wot."

"Oh, yeah. I've been doin' this thing where I fight guys around here as training."

"That sounds incredibly stupid. I mean, you've no idea what most of these blokes are capable of, and you're just jumping straight into the unknown? Lovely way to get clobbered over and over again."

"Yep, that's the point."

"The point…?" Dina took pause to think that way of thought over.

"So it's not to win, exactly, the goals more focused toward ex-"

"Experience!"

Neoru bolted upward.

"HAH, SHITLIPS! HOW'S IT FEEL TO GET CUT OFF!?" he shouted triumphantly.

Dina half-heartedly clapped. "A thousand curses. I've been felled by my own acts. How cruel, the hand of irony. Surely I shall never recover from this instrumental blow to my ego."

"Y… yeah, that's what you get…"

"Yeah so back to the sodding point," Dina continued. "I can see the value in it, but losing over and over again… stuff like that can kill a man's spirit."

Neoru chuckled.

"I've lost so many times now, I've felt that feeling so many times, that I might as well be 'immune' to it. Only place I can go from here is up."

"Never thought I'd hear what translates as 'I'm a colossal loser' spoken with such pride…" Dina sneered. Neo gave her a mean eye.

"I can't exactly count how many times I've WON on my hands, either, y'know."

"Yeah, sure. In any case, that mindset must be why so acted you pugnacious toward that Hera girl the other day."

"Her name's Mashii, by the way."

"No kidding. Speaking of, how'd that fight go?"

"That fight, huh…"

Neoru mentally recalled the battle.

 _ **[BGM: Project Baki – Dearest]**_

"Well, for starters, her style oriented around kicking. No, more than that, it was fast and sudden movements, kicks just gave her more range. Once I got around her style, all that was left to do was adapt; she couldn't cope with how well I could take hits, and her patterns got pretty predictable near the end. I was holding it down pretty well until I saw an opening and rushed in like a dumbass. Wound up givin' her a window to 'transform.' After that, she got big and green, and kicked my ass in 3 hits."

"Quite the recollection, mate! Seems like that 'experience' wasn't just a cover-up after all!"

"Still, I didn't lose without givin' it my all; this one's hazy, but I remember catching her in my 'trap' and taking out her arm with a lock after she rushed me."

"Quite metal, that."

"Nah, it was more a 'water' form, if anything. Anyway, she still won, and I passed out."

* * *

"ARM GO BWEAKY-WAKEY!"

"WAIT THAT'S MY ROCK-SKIPPING ARM!"

"I KNOW!"

* * *

"… After the bitch broke my arm."

Dina giggled. "You have, just, unfathomably horrid luck with women."

"Dunno, I've been hitting things off pretty well with you."

Dina took another take, what with Neo's unnaturally matter-of-fact tone and all.

"Wh… what does THAT mean?"

"I thought you were some weird, whiny, noisy asshole at first, and you still are, but…

Neoru smiled.

"You're alright."

"… Huh. If that's the case then, you're not exactly the jerk I initially thought you were, either. I mean, you are, very much so in fact, but…"

Dina smiled.

"Y'know, you're alright, too."

She took a wobbly step upward.

"Whaddoya know, I've eased up quite a bit!"

"Yeah, now that you mention it…" Neoru reaffirmed, upright as well.

"Guess what they say is true, laughter IS the best medicine!" Dina joked.

"No one says that."

"Yeah, sure, no one under 40 says that, but still. Commonplace around the elderly where I'm from."

"Oh, yeah, about that, where ARE you from?"

"… I, uh…"

Dina suddenly gasped. "My word, how long have we been sitting there!? We're probably late!"

"it's just barely morning, are you hi-"

Dina was already a high way ahead of Neoru. With a far beyond-average sense of balance despite her condition, no less.

"igh…?"

"WHY ARE YOU STILL THERE? IT'S YOUR LOSS IF YOU MISS A POTENTIAL PHYSICS LESSON, YOU DOLT!" she yelled.

Neoru shrugged, conceding, before making his way toward the school.

"Sanest bastard in the psyche ward, but I'll take what I can get at this point…"

* * *

 _ **[BGM: Shunsuke Kikuchi – M1525]**_

"YOU SAY THAT FUCKING NUMBER ONE MORE TIME, SHITLIPS, AND I'M GONNA BREAK YOUR NECK!"

"YOUR INCESSANT SCREECHING HAS GOTTEN YOU NOWHERE! YOU'VE YET-AGAIN FAILED TO DEBUNK MY CALCULATIONS!"

"I HAVE! I'VE PROVEN YOU WRONG, TIME AND TIME AGAIN! IT'S JUST THAT I KEEP FINDING MYSELF EXPLAINING THINGS TO A WALL OF PURE FUCKING IDIOTINE! YOU CLOSE-MINDED CELESTIAL SHITSTAIN!

As the two top researchers fought over actual decimals, Ayeva slowly slumped into her chair.

 _It was another day in the Calculations Division._

"IF ITS MULTIPLIER WERE SO MIND-BOGGLINGLY MINISCULE AS YOU'RE SUGGESTING, SON GOHAN WOULD'VE BEEN OBLITERATED BY CELL UPON HIS RETURN!"

"WHY IS THAT!? BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE CELL WAS STRONGER?"

"I'd like to int-"

"YOU IMPLY THAT 2 GOHANS OF SIMILAR STRENGTH WOULD SUFFICE TO DEFEAT THE VILLAIN, YOU UTTER IGNORAMOUS!"

 _The field, composed of the brightest minds in Conton, exists because exact numbers made things easier in terms of assessing threat levels of past enemies, as well as what patrollers would need to take them down._

"THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS! IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE HOW MANY THERE ARE, IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL'S STRENGTH THAT REALLY MATTERS! A GOHAN WITH THE STRENGTH OF 2 GOHANS WOULD LOGICALLY STAND MORE OF A CHANCE THAN 2 SEPARATE GOHANS IN A ONE-ON-ONE FIGHT WITH A STRONGER OPPONENT!"

"I'd like to int-"

"BY ALL ACCOUNTS, 2 POWER LEVELS WORKING IN HARMONY WILL OBVIOUSLY EQUATE TO ONE BEING, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING MORE LIMBS! ALL THAT YOUR FAILED RED HERRING HAS PROVEN IS HOW PAINFULLY OBLIVIOUS YOU TRULY ARE CONCERNING A MYRIAD OF POINTS!"

 _Nevertheless, even if it isn't in their fists or techniques, people will always find reasons to be stubbornly prideful to the point of stupidity._

"OH NICE SUBVERSION TACTIC, YOU PRETENTIOUS PIECE OF SPACE SHIT! YOU WANNA GO BACK TO THE POINT!? OK, LET'S GET BACK TO THE POINT! YOU HAVE NOTHING, NOTHING TO PROVE THAT CELL HAD BECOME MORE THAN 2X GOHAN'S STRENGTH JUST BECAUSE HE WAS 'STRONGER'!"

"I HAVE NO NEED TO PROVE SUCH A THING, SEE, BECAUSE THE SIMPLE FACT THAT GOHAN HAD TAKEN SUCH A DEGREE OF DAMAGE, THAT HE WAS NOWHERE NEAR HIS FULL POWER UPON HIS CLASHING WITH CELL'S KI! THAT ALONE PROVES MY POINT IN SPADES! IF IT WERE 2X, NAY, ANYTHING LESS THAN 4X I'D WAGER, THE BOY WOULD'VE BEEN OBLITERATED WITHOUT A STRUGGLE!"

The "Stopping Turbulent/Frequent Unrest Button" suddenly sounded off.

Ayva sighed, right eye beginning to trickle a few bright-orange sparks.

"I. Would like. To interject."

She presented a holographic chart.

"See, there's possibility that you're both correct. My hypothesis is that the fifth grade of Super Saiyan IS, in fact, double the strength of its father state. HOWEVER, due to certain outside variables like rage, ESPECIALLY within the more emotion-prone variants sharing human DNA, the amount of power produced raises at varying, inconsistent rates. It's the same phenomenon we've seen with many hybrids within the Patrol, time and time again."

The two collectively did a think, as did the rest of the room.

"… huh…"

"It has potential flaws, sure, but… applying those factors, x2 as a baseline is feasible enough to…"

"Wait, where did you find such precise data in the first place?"

"There's a student under my watch at the moment who shares Saiyan-Human makeup. She also happens to be… exceptionally emotional, as well…"

"Noted. Now that that's out of the way…"

Ayeva took a sigh of relief.

A hand suddenly shot up.

"OK, can we discuss the Zenkai Problem now-"

Ayeva gasped.

The following discussion-turned-bloodfeud lasted for many, many hours. A recess was inevitably called, due to the head of operations and tech programming, Setsu, suffering minor concussions.

Ayeva was not unscathed.

* * *

"YOUR CALCS ARE JUST SAIYAN-BIASED WANK!"

"Any concise evidence to support such an emotionally-biased statement?"

"THEY'R !"

"Concession accepted."

"EAT STAPLER, FUCKLO!"

"ow."

* * *

Unlike most on the Calculations Division, however, she had friends to improve her drastically-deteriorated day.

"20,000 Zs says the Riploks take it."

"I raise you 40,000, in favor of the South Quadrant Bullbats."

"They haven't won not one game since Age 600. That's how I know you don't keep up with Feera."

"True, but I've been studying their performance in prior seasons. I've noticed how they've slowly-but-surely learned how to cooperate and even synchronize. This oncoming game should be the fruit of that progress."

Kaset's confident aura began to dim.

"… Whatever you say, Riploks ain't done shit but slaughter thus far."

Stroga's smug grin began to shine.

"They begin to wane in their more-prolonged games, I'm sure you've noticed?"

"… Yeah, but… uh… 10,000 on the Riploks."

"80,000 on the Bullbats."

"100,000 ON THE RIPLOKS, THEN!"

"If you two spout another number, I may just overflow."

Despite the disheartened complaint, the two elites gleefully refocused their attention to the crop-jacketed comrade joining them atop the giant mushroom.

"Ay, that was pretty cooly, fooly!" Kaset remarked.

"What?"

"What."

Ayeva ever-so slightly squinted her eyes. "… ok…"

"Speaking of 'OK'," Stroga noted, "You aren't looking very lively today, Ayva."

Kaset nodded. "Yeah, C.D. can do that to people. Type of work can sap the life out a mummy, I swear."

She clamped her ears. "WORK. OVER. NO NUMBERS. ANYTHING ELSE."

"I mean, me and Stroga were just going over who's winning the 750s Feera game-"

"Sounds like woooork."

"I mean shit, you're kinda pigeon-holing us right now-"

"Uhhh, fallacious terms, noooo…"

Kaset threw up his hands, chuckling. "Come on, Aev. I get the headache, but spreadin' it is just make things worse for everyone."

Ayeva let out a defeated sigh. "You're right. I just feel like frying on the inside right now, sorry for the hassle."

Stroga suddenly raised a finger. "Ah! You've both taken up a 'teacher' mantle as of late, haven't you?"

Ayeva averted her gaze to the side, as Kaset grinned. " 'Yup! Just stole your entire motif like that!"

"(That's not all I do, you know…) So how goes your respective disciple's progress?"

Kaset pulled off the best shit-eating grin he could.

"He's making more progress in a MONTH than I could in a year!"

Stroga gasped. "All that in such a short amount of time!? What sort of training method… no, you don't mean you're putting them through what YOU did as a child!"

"That's what's insane about him!" he chuckled in excitement. "He just keeps taking what I throw at him!"

For his next delve into even more exposition, Kaset calmed down. His expression got a tad sterner. "In any case, I'm not really aiming to make him stronger… physically."

 _ **[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – A Retainer's Dream Projected in Water]**_

"Oh yes, you're just physically torturing him for kicks, is that right?" Stroga skeptically inquired, met with a childish "NO!" from Kaset.

"Sure, he's gettin' stronger through this, and that was always a 'part' of it anyhow, but… what I REALLY want trained is his **spirit**."

"Spirit?" Ayeva interjected. "Are you referring to willpower, or focus?"

"Both, and something beyond that."

Kaset drew his gaze toward the land below, thinking back the insane training methods he subjected his student to.

"I've never seen or felt anything like it. It's like his soul is this bottomless pit of fighting spirit, enough to get anyone psyched up, but manifested as a higher state of being. It's like a giant, beating heart, and its blood is ki. Problem is…"

He paralleled his thumb and index finger toward the downward landscape, in a "this small" manner.

"He's held back. Physically, he can only handle so much of it; the 'first time', he basically died. But there's something there mentally, too, that's stopping him from tapping into it."

Kaset laid back. "I can only work on how his body uses that energy, for now. THAT, though? He'll have to figure that out on his own."

Ayeva thought on it. "That's… surprisingly responsible for you-"

"I'm also letting him run around and fight random other kids as part of his training."

"-and there it is."

"You're just mad that it worked for me."

"Having a hospital bed passive-aggressively named after you by staff hurts that statement's credibility."

"Nuh-uh."

Stroga stifled a chuckle.

"What about you, then?" Kaset continued. "How's yours comin' along?"

Ayeva hesitated in her answer.

"I gave her a new regimen. One that focused on where I believed she was going. But…"

As if attempting to decipher something, Ayva's eyes squinted.

"Compared to the increase I'd seen before it… her growth's dwindled. Almost stagnated, even."

Stroga shrugged. "Burn-out?"

She turned to him. "Couldn't be. I make sure she isn't overworked to such an extent. But even then…"

The raven-haired woman reanalyzed memories of her "spottee" gasping for air after a rough training session, even limping away with blotches of blood after a crappy spar with her android doppelganger.

"…No, I shouldn't rule that out. If anything, it's probable."

"I doubt it's being overworked."

Both Ayeva and Stroga drew attention back to Kaset.

"I mean, she isn't just gettin' stronger because it's somethin' to do, is she? Why did she decide to start in the first place?"

"Apparently, a dispute with a fellow classmate. Her pride was wounded, from what I managed to hear."

Kaset pointed his finger in gun-position. "Bang. There's the issue."

He continued. "Maybe for a Saiyan, that'd do. But we humans have that unfortunate ability to let needless baggage go, whether we want to or not. If it ends at a petty 'I'll get you back' reason like that, she's bound to drop it eventually. Without that drive, she'll lose steam. Happens."

"Besides, it doesn't sound like she's dying or stagnating, or anything," mentioned Stroga. "Why does this rattle you so much, 'Ice Queen'?"

"… I'm… just not used to seeing her like that."

"In any case…" Kaset stretched and stood. "Kid's just as much a Saiyan as she is Human, right? She'll find another reason to improve herself. 'S what BOTH of 'em are good at."

Ayeva smiled.

"So you can stop bein' a big ol' sowfty naow, your baby's gonna be otays!"

.

.

Ayva kicked Kaset's shins from ground position.

"See me about your 'visor' request this evening. Disregarding that, don't bug me," she coldly stated before hopping off the mushroo-

…

Descending… down… the mushroom. Yeah, that sounds better.

-while the pristinely-muscled human rolled around in agony.

"… Think you broke a circuit with that one…" Stroga adorably quipped while his friend was in clear, unrelenting pain, that witty rascal.

* * *

"Motivation…"

The sun had reached its peak in the sky as Ayeva contemplated Kaset's words during her stroll.

"I mean, she'll have to open up eventually, right? Why not ask about her background? I'm bound to find a decent source if I do that," her info-hungry side previously suggested.

"All it takes is a passing question to make her jumpy, I could never do something like that," her moral half vetoed the idea.

"Nothing will change if I continue to treat her like a child."

"Forcing someone to relive trauma is cruel. She'll figure things out on her own."

"It's been long enough."

"That's not how humans work. I know this."

"Why do I care?"

"Because I'm not just a-"

She suddenly bumped into what seemed like a child. Quickly snapping back into reality, she was quick with an apology.

"Forgive me, I was careless."

 _ **[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – Fist From The Worthy Tiger With Love]**_

 _ **"TRULY, THE HEAVENS HAVE SMILED UPON ME THIS DAY!"**_

"Why me."

 ** _"STEEL RAVEN!"_**

"We aren't kids anymore stop calling me tha-"

 _ **"I, TARUBEI, HEREFORTH CHALLENGE YOU IN HONORABLE COMBAT!"**_

Ayeva took a second to stop herself from mentally frying something, sighed, and answered.

"For the 1,989th time, no."

 _ **"LET IT BE KNOWN THAT, IN FACT, THIS IS MY 1,992nd FORMAL CHALLENGE, AYEVA!"**_

"Interesting. No."

 _ **"IN ALL MY DAYS, I'VE YET TO MEET ONE SO FIERCELY OPPOSED TO BATTLE, STEEL RAVEN!"**_

"Said stoooo-"

 _ **"NEVERTHELESS, THAT UNWAVERING WILL ONLY SERVES TO FEED THE FLAME BURNING WITHIN ME! SOON, MY SWORN RIVAL, WE SHALL HAVE OUR FATED REMATCH!"**_

"Improbable at best. I'm walking away now, there are things that need doing."

"Well put! Do your best, oh rival of mine!" Tarubei cheerfully waved. No, she hadn't been discouraged in the slightest; she'd just ask the next time she saw Ayeva.

Precisely why the latter avoided contact with the former at all costs.

 _ **"HALT, STEEL RAVEN!"**_

Well that was new. Ayeva stopped, preparing a plan of escape in case Tarubei decided today was the day she'd lose her marbles.

 _ **"I'VE YET TO INTRODUCE YOU TO ONE OF MY PUPILS!"** _she proudly declared, pointing toward a brawl.

"(Blame your one-track mind…) they're choosing the middle of the plaza to fight? Why aren't you stopping it?"

 _ **"TO INTRUDE UPON A CONTEST OF STRENGTH BETWEEN TWO WARRIORS IS A SIN UPON THE BATTLEFIELD!**_ (Also, battle within the city is permitted, as long as no harm is done to the scenery!)"

On one end of the brawl stood a snarling, bear-faced man covered in scars.

On the other stood Kora.

 _ **[BGM: Mabanua – The Theme of Yuri (Fighting)]**_

"Is that all you have? Someone like you should know not to start fights you can't win, idiot," she scathingly stated.

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" The bear growled, hastily reattaching a 500-zeni facial scar sticker before balling a fist. "JUST YOU WAIT! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT I'M REALLY PACKING!"

"I'm waiting."

The man took a subconscious step back, before pulling himself together and charging, his power rapidly raising as he gained more speed. The second before he made contact, he vanished.

"HEHEH… CAUGHT YOU!" He snarled, appearing from above and bringing down his fist.

He came within a few centimeters before a force struck him upside the head, flinging him back. Kora hadn't moved; not even the tremendous gale generated from the failed punch had pushed her back by any margin.

"That speed… impressive for a rookie…" Ayeva thought aloud.

 ** _"MOST CERTAINLY! SHE'S UNDERGONE NOTHING BUT THE MOST GRUELING FORMS OF TRAINING, AND SUPERSEDES MY EXPECTATIONS WITH EVERY STEP!"_**

Kora sighed. "You're starting to get annoying. Give me your all, already."

"SHUT IT!"

The furry challenger was beginning to get desperate.

"(Dammit! She stopped it like it was nothing…!)"

"DAMN YOU! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR CALLING ME A STUPID TEDDY BEAR!"

"Wuh-wait, THAT'S what this is about? Buddy, I was talking about-"

"ENOUGH! IT'S TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE NOW, YOU BASTARD!" He snarled, waves of ki radiating off the large foe as his eyes went manic.

Ayeva tensed. "That's too far!" she muttered, preparing to end things before an arm stretched before her.

"There will be no need to intervene," Tarubei confidently – and in a hauntingly-quiet manner – stated.

"Kora's been given a reason to show her true ability."

And she was right.

 **"[ NORTHERN ECLI** \- "

"… huh?"

It took 10 seconds for the man to realize he'd been hit. By that time, he'd sailed halfway across the business district.

"Dumbass…" Kora spat, smacking her hands clean of her adversary.

" _ **A SUPERB SHOW OF STRENGTH, KORA!"**_

The young woman heard the familiar girly-yet-booming voice, and blushed. "Y-yeah, it was nothing, just a dumb misunderstanding…"

Ayeva was suddenly compelled to ask something. Reluctantly, but still.

"If it isn't a problem, can I ask what 'motivates' your student?"

Tarubei let loose a hearty laugh. _ **"IT'D SEEM THAT SHE'S FOUND HER OWN RIVAL! AND A SUPER-SAIYAN, NO LESS! WITH SUCH A LEGENDARY OPPONENT STANDING BEFORE HER, SHE'S DEDICATED HERSELF TO SURPASSING THE STATE AS SHE IS NOW! DOES THAT NOT CAUSE YOUR WARRIOR BLOOD TO SIMMER, RAVEN OF STEEL!?"**_

Ayva looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"Oh… I… That's wonderful… Excuse me, I need to attend to… the thing…"

"Be well, _ **MY RIVAL!"**_ Tarubei roared, as Ayeva uneasily strolled away.

"At this rate with how miniscule her progress has become," the cyber-patroller worried, "She won't be able to close the gap…"

She grit her teeth.

"Even worse, catching up to Tarubei's student is the only reason she underwent all this in the first place. If she ever found out how outclassed she was after all this, Dina'd be…"

"…"

Dina stood right there.

Hollow eyes still fixated on Kora.

She smirked. A defeated, lifeless smirk.

"… Who cares?"

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pride]**_

* * *

 **Yo! OP Here!**

 **Yeah. This chapter was a LOT of talking, I know. But I felt like I NEEDED this chapter to exist, for some reason. To the extent that I started working on it a day after I finished the last chapter. Speaking of, this wait was borderline criminal; as much as I'd like to blame AP art stuff, most of the blame is on me. Truth be told, I ran into a shit ton of creative dead ends while working on this, causing me to begin procrastinating and distracting myself more and more instead of working on the damned thing. Just something I gotta work on.**

 **There was something else I wanted to make note of, but I forgot. Damn it.**

 **In any case, don't have that much to discuss this week. I finished Kenichi: HSD, and got pretty deep into Narcos. Narcos is better. Easy. But Kenichi is pretty cool when it isn't throwing anime tiddies in your face every 5 tacoseconds like damn, she's like 16. Cut that shit out.**

 **Ahem. Back to it. This chapter sets up the mini-arc I want Dina to go through; Underpushing, Overpushing, and Just Right. Petty game of Catch-up, Vengeance, Self-Improvement. Running from the past, Aggressively focusing on a specific aspect of it, and Confronting it in its entirety. Next chapter will hopefully get Dina into that second phase with a little help from a certain angry Chihuahua.**

 **(That Calculations Division segment was a homage to the debating portion of the DB fan base. I was pretty heavy into it myself back when G+ was up. Most likely messed some stuff up, but hey, gotta pay respects to the good times I had in Battle Kingdom, screaming at people over stuff that doesn't matter. Also, if you know who Setsu references, cookie4u.)**

 **Neoru and Dina's bond will also be pivotal for stuff later on. I've got plans for them start training together soon, like, after Dina completes her mini-arc. I've got, like, 0 enthusiasm right now, that's no good. Lemme think... Oh yeah, it'll involve Roshi. Shit's gonna be cash, that's my word.**

 **Still can't remember for the LIFE of me what I was planning to say, oooh. Know what, screw it. Even in this quarantine junk, make sure life doesn't have you down, and have fun! You got this shit!**

 **Yeah. That's about it. See ya!**


	30. A Terrible, All-Encompassing Flame!

"Whaddo ya know? There really WAS a physics lesson today!" Dina chirped. "Complete with a 30-minute rant on how apparently mind-boggling it is that ki figuratively flips off multiple fundamental laws of the cosmos, that literally no one asked for!"

"Oh... Cool," Neoru lulled, still not all-the-way-there as he scratched off dried saliva from the corner of his lip.

Dina gave an intelligence-questioning look. Then she shrugged. "Eh, can't blame you. Did that all the time back at school."

"Yeah, sure you did. Alright, I'm gonna go train."

"You mean work yourself half-to-death?" The young woman quipped.

The young man dryly chuckled. "Yeah, sure, let's call it that. Alright, good luck with that downward force shit your doin' or whatever," he waved two fingers as he strolled off.

"Yeah, of course, you too... Wait, hold that thought!"

"huh?"

Dina jogged toward some commotion. Neoru shrugged. "Great way to end up as crossfire but hey, go for it."

She turned back and scoffed. "Suit yourself, ya borin' mong!" She reached a decent point to watch what turned out to be a brawl.

"Is that all you have?" the Saiyan warrioress on one side taunted, squaring off against the bear guy she allied herself with during her cute widdle fantasy versus debate that led nowhere. "Someone like you should know not to start fights they can't win, idiot."

"Oh, nice!" Dina snickered. "Prick has had this coming for a while!" She saw Bears's awesome scars lose adhesion and peel off his face, though, and her eyes began to sing a different tune from her frozen grin. "OK, maybe not, but still. Great chance to see how far ahead I am of her!"

She then saw Bears fly back. Kora hadn't moved an inch.

"... wh..."

Or maybe she did.

She'd've seen it if she moved, right?

That suddenly-flowing hair was convenient wind. Had to be.

Before she could question herself further, the bear guy sprang back and began to charge something within his hand. While she wasn't great at it, she could sense presences passably; that said, she could tell this guy was something else. An absolutely-crazy power washed over her like a tsunami in that moment, enough to set her off on a stretcher if he'd aimed and fired that thing at her. Almost made her glad she bet on him earlier.

"Bloody... well, if nothing else, this ought at least leave a bruise!"

And then Kora sent him flying through the sound barrier.

She moved, that time. Dina could only tell because she was now a meter away from where she once stood.

She hardly even tried.

"..."

If anything, the gap had grown.

Every ounce of effort that she'd put in. It didn't matter. Kora'd just go even higher. At this rate, she'd pass her, even as a "Super Saiyan."

An endless game of catchup that she'd never win, no matter what.

She gave a dry chuckle.

"Who cares?" she said, weakly.

* * *

 _ **[OP: My First Story – King and Ashley]**_

 **A Terrible, All-Encompassing Flame! Dina Embraces The Motive of Vengeance!**

* * *

Dina woke up early this morning, no alarm needed. A brisk feeling of liberation had taken ahold of her today, and she felt like she could take on the world.

"4, 5... 6 scoops!" she counted, making the 9th bowl.

For breakfast this morning, from the whimsical refrigerator that restocked itself every day, Dina had a bowl of ice cream. Why? Just something she wanted to do since she was little, now that nothing was holding her down.

She stared at her breakfast before maniacally cackling. "JUS' TRY N' STOP ME NOW, FATHER!"

After a few seconds, it was gone.

"... Now I just feel gross."

She shook her head, tossed the dishes into the sink, sprang upward, and headed to her bedroom. Dina found some crap in her wardrobe that she'd like to toss on, hauled it with her to the bathroom, other things were taken care of, she showered, tossed on the blank red shirt and blue jeans, and finally took a look in the mirror.

"Hmm... Did I grow, or..."

She tapped chin, gave her hair a thorough lookdown, and almost died.

Dina's unkempt, damp locks had taken on the appearance of the fluffy white bits of a tiger's face. In her haste to salvage her hair, Dina took a pair of scissors to her head. A few clumps and one painful combing session later, she'd gotten it to a somewhat socially-acceptable bob; she still looked like one of those chicks from a 90s space anime, but still. Progress.

The walk back to her room gave her some time to retrospect.

Saturday, academic intermission.

No more of those hellish exercises; she'd already informed Ayeva of her hanging-of-the-towel. Not like she was just gonna let herself go fat or anything, just a few hundred basic calisthenics here and there.

She slowed her pace. Leaning against her bedroom wall, she wound up asking the question which most with failed ambition do.

"... now what?"

Dina had no answer.

Then, she grinned.

"... Exactly!"

She threw herself off the wall, briefly twirling. "Blimey, I've been keeping my head underwater for so long! It's a whole new world I'm in, after all!" she laughed, pulling back her curtains. "Now that I'm not obsessing over some prick with an inferiority complex, who KNOWS what's next for me!" Dina took a giant breath of fresh air, before obnoxiously exhaling. "SPLENDID! WHAT A SPLENDID DAY, THIS IS!"

She made a hard turn, made for the door, failed to evaluate just how dreadful a job she'd done at cleaning up her clothes, and...

"FU-"

The teenager managed to catch herself with a solo-arm handstand. Her balance and reactions were at least thirty-fold what they used to be, that was for sure.

"Bloody hell, Dina..." she sighed, back to her feet and making sure to dispose of the failed fabric-based assassin with extreme prejud-

"..."

Yarg. Police. Department.

With a hand-sized hole near its left.

Her anger began to waver.

It still had its stains. One large and reddish-brown around the hole... the other one, the color of oatmeal.

This time, no stronger emotion could save her from that torrent.

Remembering that day. The days, months, years before it, when everything was still great. How and why she died. Inevitability of the ones she'd left behind sharing similar fates.

Nostalgia. Trauma.

How so much changed.

She pressed her back to the wall once more, legs quaking, grasp on the police cadet shirt weakening, before slowly sliding down.

Choked sobs echoed from the room.

* * *

"7 servings of apple-flavored Ice MIYMs, and 2 glasses of water, please."

The waitress nodded. "And you, sir?"

"..."

"... sir?"

"..."

The waitress began to force her smile to remain in place. "Sir would you please put down your book and place an order?"

The grey-haired boy shook down a page from the book he held above him.

"Fuck off, hag."

Her eyes briefly exploded in anger. The smile had turned psychotic.

Wabi sighed. "He'll have some tea."

"UUUNDERSTOOD," the waitress gleefully responded, grinding her teeth. "YOU'LL HAVE YOUR F...OOOD SHORTLY..." she marched off, applying the force she'd otherwise use to smack the absolute fucking shit out of that insolent brat into her steps. And notably so.

Aside from that, Kazikum had calmed down a fair bit since he'd gotten here. He even picked up a post-training hobby; literature. Turned out he could read at a 4th-grade level... somehow.

"So the coward drowns herself after getting in his way... what a crock'a shit..."

"Bobbing-twos, can you take your feet off the table?"

Kaz scoffed. "Easily."

"..."

".."

"Take your feet off the table."

"Take 'em off yourself, Wabi!"

"..."

"..."

Kaz took his feet off the table, slamming the print of _Cutlet_ down with them.

"Pointless..."

"I'LL RAM THIS TABLE UP YOUR ASS, FATHEAD!"

The café door's bell jingled.

"That shout was awful convenient..."

Both boys recognizing the voice, the two turned toward the source.

"Yo," Dina waved in nigh-monotone.

"If you're expecting a show, then you're shit out of luck. This squishy trashheap won't let me train, says I should 'take a break!' What a load of horseshit," he grumbled.

"Bummer. Hi, Wabi."

"Howdy."

"You don't have food. Why."

"Oh? Yeah, apologies," said DIna, with weak posture. "Security's been up'd quite a bit. I stopped taking loans, as well. would just feel like a leech at this point."

"THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE."

DIna sighed, taking a seat at the table beside him.

"I, uh... I just need to talk with someone like you right now."

Kazikum's brow raised. "The fuck does that mean? A confession or something?"

Dina's faltering gaze wondered to the side, thinking about how to put her question into words.

"I... uh..."

The grey-haired Saiyan began to lose the 2 pints of patience he'd manage to gain.

"GOD, WHEN'D YOU GET SO FUCKING PATHETIC?"

"I-I'm sorry, I just-"

"QUIT WASTING MY TIME, DUMBASS!"

"... What motivates you?"

Involuntary tears began to slide down her face.

"Just... just tell me, ok? I wan... I need to know."

"Didn't I already tell you?" Kazikum thought back. "Yeah, I did. Find someone else to piss off."

He felt gazes setting upon him. Wabi buried himself within his palm.

"IF YOU WANT THOSE EYES TO STAY OFF THE MENU, MIND YOUR BUSINESS!"

While other cafégoers quickly averted their stares, Dina fidgeted her fingers.

"You needed to make someone suffer. That's all you said."

Wabi decided to chime in. "Why do you need a reason to get stronger, anyway? If you can, do it."

"That's not enough. Not for me, apparently."

He shrugged. "Unreal."

The waitress from before came back, with both Wabi's orders.

"Please forgive the weight. _Preparing the tea took time_."

After a thanks and pay... and an ominous grin from the waitress... Wabi offered the hot beverage to Kaz.

"I'm not thirsty. Have it."

"Suit yourself!" Wabi said gleefully, downing it with gusto. He found it so delicious that he instinctively smacked the table with his forehead, mouth frothing with sheer ecstasy.

"... I-is he o-"

"He's a pompous fucking drama queen. Don't give him what he wants."

That out of the way, he made his decision.

"Will you quit your whining?"

Dina hastily wiped off tears. "Yep! I'll leave you to your... what is that... Bakesphere, just like that."

He stood up, giving Wabi his book as a hat after checking his pulse.

"Come on. I was getting bored anyway."

* * *

"A while back," Kazikum began, by the waterfall which fell near the grassy plateau he'd begun to train by," when I was still a pissy weakling like you, someone was taken from me. Right in front of me. The fucker who did it never told me why. Then, it escaped before I could tear it apart."

Veins began to crop up all over Kazikum. The grass and water began to bend and distort.

"That fucking weasel. She trusted it with her life, and it still snapped her neck. Like she was nothing."

Grass began to wriggle free from its roots, the water vibrating wildly.

"IT JUST THREW HER AWAY LIKE A TOY. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER."

Blood gushed from his clenched fist, falling into the crystal-blue below and turning a portion red as the pond calmed.

"So I'm not dying until it's on its knees in a pool of its own blood, piss and shit. After that, I could care less."

Dina sat in silence. Kazikum couldn't take standing still any longer.

"Now get lost. I need to improve-"

"Bodies. That's what I remember."

"?"

Dina continued. Eyes fixated on the viscous, crimson fluid blotting the water before her as if in a trance.

 _ **[BGM: Hiryuki Sawano – Titan Advance]**_

"And blood. More so than anyone should ever see. An entire hallway caked in it. People I knew, some better than others for certain but no one... deserving of such a thing... laying dead... across the floor. At the end of the hallway was a... my friend. Since elementary."

The water began boiling.

Tears began to fall again. Dina, however, slowly began to lose the pathetic look on her face.

"She was fucking LAUGHING."

Sparks began to fly. Kaz's interest was peaked.

"Of every option she had, she chose to kill people who'd never so-much as spoke to her... and for what?"

Waves crashed. Grass flew.

"I blacked out after that. When I came to, whatever the sodding hell that power was had been jut straight through me."

With a single instance of recollection, every ounce of rage she'd felt during her stay at Conton City was dwarfed.

"And now I'm stuck here, moping about, while she's still there likely slaughtering everyone else I've ever cared for, with that stupid fucking grin plastered across her face."

Kazikum began. "Why are you-"

"Huh? Oh, I..." Dina took a shaky breath, almost calming down. "You were able to relive something so horrid. It's only fair if I followed suit-"

"NO, YOU IDIOT."

Kazikum flared. "WHY ARE YOU STILL FUCKING SITTING THERE!?"

"..!"

"THAT BASTARD IS STILL BREATHING, ISN'T SHE!? THEN YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, KNOWING THEY'RE STILL ALIVE! YET HERE YOU ARE, A WHIMPERING SACK'A FAILURE WHO THINKS THEY NEED FUCKING PEP-TALKS TO GET OFF THEIR ASS AND FIGHT FOR SOMETHING!"

He grabbed her shoulders.

"ARE YOU OK WITH THAT! KNOWING THAT SICK BASTARD IS STILL STRONGER THAN YOU, GUTTING YOUR LOVED ONES LIKE FISH!?"

Dina's eyes strained, a grimace gradually contorting her face. That image she'd tried so hard to escape, to distract herself with, was now all she could see.

But instead of grief, or despair, genuine rage bubbled to the surface.

"HUH!? ARE YOU!?"

She was doing it right now, wasn't she? Ripping them apart, grinning.

She'd never see them again, and it was because of HER.

And yet here she was, chasing some twit who she hardly knew.

Snap.

 _ **"NO!"**_

Her hair briefly flickered a blinding, golden light as she screamed, bashing away his hands in a berserk fit.

Water exploded from the pond, drenching them both as hundreds of grass blades fell.

But if anything, her outburst calmed Kazikum down, by a considerable degree no less.

Dina dragged the air back into her lungs.

"I'M NOT."

Huff.

"LETTING HER."

Huff.

"GET AWAY."

Dina lifted her bangs.

"WITH. THIS."

She turned.

"Therefore..." she growled.

There were no thanks, no wave, not even a smile. She simply walked off, crimson eyes burning with a new, destructive flame.

Kazikum gulped, his heart beating out of his chest. He'd felt fear in the past, and while the sensation had all-but disappeared far before this point...

He looked down.

"That's new..."

He knew enough to know that this unusual feeling was not fear.

* * *

Ayeva racked her coat.

Moving on to the room she'd assigned to mono-work, she passed her personal training chamber. A light wave of melancholy washed over her, unreflected by her usual stoic expression. Still, she paused for longer than she'd've liked.

 _"May I ask why?" said Ayeva, a ting of sadness within her voice._

 _"There's just no need for it, yeah? Nothing's gonna come from it at this rate. If anything, I'm just slowing you down with this petty squabble of mine!" Dina smiled._

 _"But... there's a countless amount of alternative reasons to continue training! Strength isn't restricted to pursuing a superior!"_

 _Dina sighed. "Maybe so. I guess I just don't care for them that much. If anything, I'm happy right here." She giggled. "Besides, 's not like I'm gonna sit on my arse for the rest of my exciting new life here, will I? I'm sure I'll find... something... to keep myself healthy n' occupied!"_

 _"... If that's your choice, then... I'll honor it."_

 _The plucky halfbreed gave her former mentor a hug. "Plus, we'll still be friends, right?"_

 _Friends. The way she put it gave the white-coat a light smile. "Of course."_

 _With that, Dina strolled off. "G'night, Ms. Ayeva!"_

It was a gloomy sight, seeing a Saiyan lose their drive to fight. Then again, Dina was only a Saiyan by blood. At heart, she was just a teenage girl.

So the raven-haired scientist moved forward.

And found the door sliding open without need to disable the lock.

She lunged into the room, rotating ball of energy armed and ready.

"!"

 _ **[BGM: Sunsuke Kikuchi – M1312]**_

"W'sup?" Dina waved, sitting atop a massive printer with a deadpan expression.

"How did-"

"Hm? Oh, just somethin' I picked up off you, 's all."

"... Don't do that."

Dina hopped onto her feet. "Apologies. Would you mind helpin' me out again?"

"Not at all. What do you need?"

"Power."

Her ruby eyes cried bloody murder.

"So you're reinstating your training?" Ayeva cleared up, taken aback by the teenage girl's sudden, intense look. "If it'll help, I can relax your original regimen-"

"No. If anything, I'll need more."

"More?"

Ayeva cocked an eyebrow. "Dina... What happened, today?"

"Some well-needed introspect. To put it bluntly, I've stopped running."

After a wary look, Ayeva nodded. "Affirmative. Then let's begin."

40Gs flooded the room. Dina felt her weight skyrocket, gravitational forces crashing into her from above. But she didn't move.

She blew through every rep, fierce and enraged expression never fading as she relentlessly pushed, and pulled, and raised, and lowered, and exploded. With every second of pain wrought upon her, the sharper, gut-wrenching pain in her side amplified, and she bore through it with even more vigor.

By the end of it, she hardly felt whatever amount of pain was actually there. In fact, she began laughing at the sensation. It felt like progress. And progress felt good.

She stared down her last adversary.

"Alright... Now it's your turn..."

Her doppelganger sprung to life and took a stance.

"... You pathetic fucking weakling, you..." she grinned, clenching her fists and crouching low.

 _ **[OST: Hiroyuki Sawano – Exorcist (2:12 - 3:43)]**_

They charged at each other at the same time. They'd thrown around a dozen punches each before the terrific BOOM of the sound barrier entered the space.

To call Dina's fighting style self-destructive would've been an understatement. Every single attack D.I.A.N.A. landed was reciprocated by a fist to itself. Dina's eyes had faded, leaving whites akin to a shark savaging prey. They both clawed away, occasionally strafing to find a blind spot which turned out to be another fist lying in wait. They darted around the red confinement, scuffing the ground with their movements and glints of one absolutely decking the other abound. Dina's blood began to dot the ground, the girl pushing herself harder and harder as thoughts of the event which sent her here began flooding her mind. The dark, crimson and polished floor began to resemble bloodied marble more and more. Suddenly, with blind rage and a burst of speed, Dina bashed away a fist with a swung forearm and viciously backhanded her mechanical mate, before laying into her with sporadic punches of all kind while screaming like a rabid animal. It took tens of thousands of blows, but for the first time since they'd begun sparring, D.I.A.N.A. backed away.

Dina gave her no quarter.

D.I.A.N.A. threw a strong, straight right, using its own force in tandem with the charging Saiyan's to finish things. With her own right hook readied, Dina sprang from her ground-hugging position and went for the body, preparing it as the final blow. D.I.A.N.A.'s punch made contact first, however, in a grisly shot that should've knocked the young halfblood out cold.

As she spun from the force of the hit, body nigh-limp except for the side of her that mattered, her fist remained clenched and barreled toward the android's centermass.

In that moment, D.I.A.N.A. took a full power punch from Dina... and itself... simultaneously.

By stupid luck and even stupider tenacity, Dina had claimed her first-ever win.

That hardly mattered to Ayeva. Dina crashed to the ground, landing on a fist as the woman who'd cared for her rushed inside.

"Too far, that was too far!" she spouted in an anxious fit, hurriedly helping Dina to her feet.

The urge to pass out there-and-then was dwarfed by the sheer gallons of adrenaline coursing through the young fighter's veins.

"Come on, I'm not a sodding... CHILD!" she snarled, breaking free from Ayeva's gentle grasp and inching toward the door.

"Dina, you're hurt!" Ayeva stated, her matter-of-fact tone waning.

"Oh who cares? I'll just sleep it off. Can hardly feel a thing, anyway."

"Wait, Dina-"

"I'M ALRIGHT, JEEZ!" she yelled. Regret set in immediately, Ayeva's shocked expression doing no favors.

"... I just... need to work a bit harder. A bit of pain won't kill me." She forced a smile. "And hey. If academia's anythin' to go off, a Saiyan oughta get stronger after a thrashing like this, yeah?"

Ayeva wasn't convinced. "What's with this sudden shift in you? Please, what's going on?"

Dina tossed out a gate. "I remembered who I should be working to murder. That's all."

"Murder!? What-"

Dina disappeared, leaving Ayeva with a mid-day game show's worth of questions.

But as she surveyed the grisly room, the android's grotesque condition, those questions dissipated.

All that remained was the thought of what she was doing to herself.

And how unaware of her limit she'd become.

 ** _[BGM: The Pillows – Sayonara Universe (Start – 1:58)]_**

Dina passed Kora on the way home. Spared her not even a glance.

The second she got through her door...

"G-GH!?"

Pain.

She collapsed, unintelligibly stammering before gritting with all her power and kicking the door closed.

It became so unbearable that she screamed her lungs out.

"FUCK...!" she hissed, punching the floor as her eyes bulged out her head.

"GOD, MAKE IT..."

She screamed and whimpered and rolled about, desperately clutching herself while her body and bones exploding in burning, breaking, biting fits.

But then the image reappeared. The stark difference of power. The certainty of her father, what friends she had left, being gutted. And the thought of her impotence.

A name seeped through her teeth.

"LUNA..."

With a surge of rage, she struggled to her feet, trudging toward her room. The walk seemed to go on forever.

"Luna... Luna... Luna..."

Everything she saw gradually doubled, tripled, quadrupled. Finally, her bedroom door moved to the ceiling.

"Lu..."

And the floor rapidly approached her.

"Na..."

 _ **[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight Of My Pride]**_

* * *

 **Yo! OP Here!**

 **Yeah this chapter took WAY too long, I know. 3 weeks is ludicrous, and JUST BARELY 3 weeks with that. Still, I think it was worth it; I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out. Pretty heavy shit in this one, yeah. In any case, we're getting closer to that tourney now that Dina's got a more solid reason to get stronger, though it's not a very healthy one. Strength for the sake of revenge is kinda close to my heart for personal reasons, and while it can take you higher, that rage will eat at you. Being angry and hate-filled, even if justified, just ain't a way to go about living. I've got a chance to explore that with Dina, considering SHE'S human and Kazikum isn't.**

 **In any case, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds was a masterpiece (i just wanted to watch some cool martial arts shit and wound up sobbing like a bitch), I finally finished Dragon Ball all the way (Best DB series by far) and Outlaw Star's pretty sick. I also got a laptop. Neat.**

 **And I'm 18 now. Yeah. Big Boi. Adult responsibilities. Fun.**

 **Eh, I'll find my way and live through the rest of this life the best I can.**

 **Existential shizz aside, vengeance is pretty relevant with all the stuff going on in the world right now, huh? Recent events have gotten us in a tussle, and for good reason. Still, I've seen horrible shit and good acts committed by both sides of this struggle. Don't think we'll ever get a justice system that'll successfully weed out every murderous sack of shit and leave only good apples, or assemble a completely peaceful movement without advantageous bastards who use tragedies as justification for acting like monsters, but it's those moments of humanity riddled throughout and shining through that maintain hope.**

 **That's enough about the serious stuff, though. Onto some shizz from the chapter.**

 **A MIYM (Melts-In-Your-Mouth) is a ice dessert for lifeforms that don't eat solids. They're flavored and junk, and you pop 'em in your mouth and they melt and everyone habe gud tiem. Light worldbuilding, probably.**

 **Oh yeah, one more thing, I OWN BAKESPHERE NOW. THAT NAME PUN IS GENIUS. YOU USE THAT AND IT'S 5 GRAND OUT THEM POCKETS. ON SHENRON YOU BETTER HAVE THAT SHIZZ.**

 **But uh, yeah. That's about it.**

 **See ya.**


	31. SPECIAL A Boy Named Neoru!

**[SPECIAL: A Boy Named Neoru...]**

The 13 year-old boy trudged through the dark tunnel.

"AND IN THIS CORNER..." an individual shouted from a coned piece of paper colored black.

"AT 5'6, WEIGHING IN AT 63 KILOS, HAILING FROM GOD-KNOWS WHERE, THIS PLUCKY CHALLENGER WALTZED IN ONE DAY AND TOOK THE BREAKERBRAWL SCENE BY STORM! WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 14 WINS AND 0 LOSSES, ONE HAS TO WONDER WHETHER OR NOT THIS SEEMINGLY SCRAWNY SCRAPPER HAS STAYED ALIVE BY LADY LUCK'S HAND ALONE! IT'S THE WAYWARD DRAGON..."

"who the hell told ya to call me that, geez..." the boy grumbled with a light accent. Finally, he'd emerged from the holding bay and into the dim light of the dingy arena.

"...NEORU!"

The outer ring of attendees was quiet. Only silent stares of bloodlust and spite laid upon the young boy.

"Little shit's cost me a month's worth of betting greens now..." He heard one spectator growl from behind. "You won't get so lucky this time, punk. The Brickhouse is gonna rip you apart, I'm sure of-"

A defiant middle finger suddenly flew his way. He staggered, before going red with rage.

"KILL THAT SNOTTY BRAT, HISEFU!"

With a smug grin, he hopped up the cage's stairs and locked eyes with his taller, wider opponent.

Neoru whistled. "You're one big fella, eh?"

Hisefu maintained a resolute, dignified expression.

"Stone wall act, eh? No wonder they call ya Brickhouse. Y'know, kinda thought it was 'cus'a strength or whatever, but I'm startin'a think it's somethin'a do with those shitty people skills. What, too stupid to speak, Brickhead? All that weight on ya, but right now it don't look like there's much goin' on up-"

Hisefu stomped forward with a single foot as he took an imposing stance, planting himself to the ground and shutting up his challenger.

"Children... do not belong in such a place as this."

"Eh?" The boy spat. "Watch it, Shithouse, thinkin' like that will net ya a dirt bed in the middle'a nowhere!"

A lanky guy posing as a referee threw down his hand. "BEGIN!"

Ending on that, he charged forward and readied a punch. And by the skin of his teeth, he sidestepped one of the fastest punches he'd ever seen. In sheer awe as time seemed to stop, he snapped out of it as soon as possible, cocked back, and slung a kick to Hisefu's chin. He'd hoped that blow would knock him out then and there, as the larger martial artist's head snapped back.

A tinge of red spurt from Hisefu's broken nose, as he slowly reset his posture.

"Such a kick... No, your success was no feat of luck."

"FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK, HOW'D HE DODGE THAT!?"

Neoru leapt back. "What the hell is this guy?" He was given no spanse of time to further ponder it, as Hisefu's fist suddenly hovered over Neoru.

"NO-" He cross-arm guarded against the blow at the last second. His arms screamed out in pain, as did he, and his entire body vibrated from the sheer unrelenting force of the blow. His back slammed into the cage, nearly breaking the chainlinks keeping out the muttering crowd.

"That kid just took a punch from The Brickhouse..." one commented.

" 'Took?' Just how braindead are you!?" The one Neoru had flipped off earlier laughed. "Look at the little bastard, he's clingin' onto life by a thread! It's already over, this is just where the fun bit begins!"

Mouth drizzling blood, Neoru's legs couldn't move. No, the issue was that they WERE moving; quivering, from pain and fear. His eyes mirrored this.

"The guy's a monster... He's gotta be..." he thought in panic, supported by his miraculously-unbroken and yet still-howling arms.

"Damn it! So, this is it!?"

Hisefu didn't move in. Despite the crowd's ever-rising bloodlust reminiscent of an old-age gladiatorial arena's stands, he did not move.

"... now what?" Neoru weakly asked.

"Children..."

As his posture tightened, an expression of unbridled sorrow washed over his face.

"Do not belong in such a place as this..."

That face.

Pity. Absolute pity.

Neoru's eyes darkened. His legs found themselves calming, and the pain subsided as he slowly found his footing.

"Monster, my ass..." he muttered. "I'm your damn opponent."

After a coughing fit, he swallowed, his teeth grit and burning violet eyes resolute.

The man's expression hardened. "Tell me, young man. Why is it, that you fight so vicously?"

"'Cus I just love beatin' assholes like you half-to-death while riskin' my own ass. Why do you think, jackass?" Neoru presented his fist. "Right now, this is how I eat."

"... I have a child around your age, young fighter. Gentle as a lamb, and would never dream of harming another creature."

"Are you fuckin' serious right now? Someone as strong as you, fallin' back on a sob story? Hopin' I'll drop out, huh, bastard?" Neoru demanded, struggling his balance.

"Yes. I fight for a group west of here, where she resides. With what is earned in this battle, I should be able to provide for them all... and then some."

"... So you're saying..."

"You're still a boy, remarkable in strength and skill, yet still a boy. You can-"

"SAVE IT, OLD MAN." Neoru hunched over. "If you wanna win, you're gonna have to kick my ass until I can't get up. Plain and simple."

He bared his teeth. "Besides, I can't stand groups."

"... So... be it."

Neoru charged at the elder martial artist, full speed. With a lightning-fast attack forward, Hisefu struck first.

The boy expected this. And that maybe, by some miracle, he could negate some damage and retain enough strength to strike at an exposed area with everything he had.

What he didn't expect, was how slow this punch seemed.

"...!"

The world slowed, his blood pumped, and strength surged throughout his body. But he inquired no further. Neoru, in that moment, accepted the extraordinary second wind and, as the fist flew beside his ear, leapt up with all his might and squeezed the older fighter's neck in-between the shoulder with his legs. The boy's eyes went berserk as he clung onto and pulled Hisefu's arm for dear life, too focused to notice the man's tightened nukite. The seasoned martial artist, on the sparse amount of breath he had left, launched it toward Neoru's abdomen with enough force to shoot right through a tank's armored plating.

Yet he stopped. Only millimeters away from vitals.

A few seconds later, he lost consciousness. He fell to his knees and lurched over. Neoru dropped to the floor, taking heavy breaths as he tried to take in what'd transpired, while the skin-and-bone guy in a checkered shit counted down from 10 outside the cage. His body was wracked with an indescribable burning sensation, something worse than the pain he felt from the prior blow he'd sustained. But something else ate away at him.

"That guy... how the hell did I beat someone like that?"

He then laid eyes on Hisefu's still-tightened spear hand. His heart sank.

"Hey... he could've... at that range..."

And the realization smacked him. Why that punch seemed so slow. Why he wasn't currently a kebab.

"AND WITH NOTHING SHORT OF PRODIGIOUS SPEED AND TECHNIQUE..!"

"You shitty old bastard..."

"THE WINNER OF THIS BATTLE IS..!"

"You coulda killed me. With no sweat. But..."

"NEORU!"

"You let me win."

He stopped by a dingy office to collect his "earnings." It was 5 canned goods. None particularly large, and 2 were condiments.

"What's with the long face, hotshot?" His employer asked. "You just sent the Brickhouse packing. Knowing the wasteful sack of shit that thorn-in-my-ass worked under, that's in more ways than one!" He chuckled at his own joke. "We're goin' to the top, at this rate."

"The hell does that mean?" Neoru tensed. "What's happening to Hisefu?"

"Was that his name? Well, you said it yourself, right? Dirt bed in the middle of nowhere."

"BULLSHIT! HE'S GOT PEO- HE WAS TOO STRONG TO JUST KILL LIKE THAT!"

"Y'can say that again. That impulsiveness is gonna cost Gomu in the long run. It'll take years to find another asshole who fights like that. Also, what's got your panties in a knot, kid? That's good news for you. No rematches, no chance to blow what you have going right now... you're king of the hill as it stands."

"... No. I'm done."

His employer raised a brow. "You mean you quit?"

Neoru shrugged, faking a grin. "Told you I wasn't gonna do this for long, didn't I? Planned on hittin' the road after my 15th, anyway."

The shoddily-dressed ringleader sighed. "Shame. Well, good luck to you." As he noticed Neoru's shaking fists while the boy exited the room, his eyes gleamed a slight red from the reflected dusk sun.

Neoru hadn't made it a dozen meters before 3 armed men blocked his way to the door.

"For fuck's..." he growled. "Look, assholes, no one's in the mood for this crap right now."

One of them grinned maniacally. "I wouldn't be so sure, boy. Everything I had rode on that last match! But I don't just NEED to kill you, you arrogant brat, I WANT to see you die!"

Neoru made a demeaning scowl before turning to the other two. "What about you two bozos? You with this whiny-ass bitch, or were ya sent after me?"

Another goon steadied a shiv in his quivering hand. "Can't say. L-look, just drop the food and never show your face around here again."

Neoru's eyes gleamed.

"No."

He drew his sword.

"Now fuck off. Right now. Or die."

The maniac cackled, before running toward him in an enraged fit.

 _ **[BGM: Nujabes – One Million Way of Drum]**_

"YOU ARROGANT FUCKING BRAT, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S GOING TO DIE!"

Neoru sidestepped his downward slash, ducking below the next before slashing his arm off and kicking him with enough force to rip the muscle of his neck.

The other two looked on in horror as he turned to them with widened, berserk eyes.

They braced, before screaming in sad attempts at war cries and charging in together. The boy kicked up dirt at the last minute, blinding one of them before throwing the other's arm after a failed grab, causing a stumble before he jumped atop and plunged his sword into him before he could recover.

"Can't see..." the last one muttered, sticking out his hand before hearing footsteps approaching him, far too light to be any of his comrades'.

"NO... STAY BACK!"

They kept inching closer.

"KEEP AWAY!"

He suddenly fell to the ground, legs having been swept from under him.

"Dumbass..." he grumbled. As the last assailant rolled and screeched in a panicked frenzy before passing out, Neoru sheathed his steel and moved forward.

"OK... now which way is west?"

* * *

 **Yo! OP Here!**

 **So, uh, you're probably wondering why this one was so short. Or filler-y.**

 **Basically, I wanted to make this a pre-story sort of thing, but decided that it wouldn't segway that well into the main chapter, if that makes sense. Still, I liked it so much that I made it its own little special mini-chapter. I might do this for more characters, help expand on them, but not TOO frequently. This may very-well be the only one. This chapter also serves to provide a bit of context to Neoru's background, world, skill, and... mannerisms? IDK bro, I just like it.**

 **Anyway, next ACTUAL chapter will focus on Neoru fighting and meeting (yes, in THAT order) someone even newer to Conton. Key Words: Alley, Sambo.**

 **I'm also gonna revise some past chapters. Fix a few things, make things flow a bit better, GRAMMAR MISTAKES, the ushe. Also, did you know that Cantonese is OLDER than Mandarin? 'Cus I SURE AS HELL DIDN'T! I'm an idiot, we established this. But yeah, just letting you know that I'm aware of that, but it's kinda too late to change some aspects like "that character's" name (i like it too much leamme alOOONE) but Mandarin sayings will be rectified. Maybe.**

 **One more thing: I'm making the Araji influence Latin-American in general. South-American, Central American, just all'em. I don't wanna limit myself to one culture, 'cus Latin Americans in general are pretty cool. Guess that means the Portuguese Neoru's bro spoke might stay, after all? I'll think about it as I go along.**

 **Yeah. That's about it. See ya.**

 **ALSO MADE THE TWO WEEK MARK BABYYYYY-**


	32. Sudden, Harrowing Combat!

_**[OP: Omedetai Atama de Naniyori - Aishiden Issen]**_

 **Sudden, Harrowing Combat! If Not One Way, I'll Find Another!**

"SHA!"

3 months had passed since he'd began his training.

"SHA!"

In that period, a few things had changed.

"SHA!"

One of the few people he'd enjoyed talking to had become a moody workfreak, he'd been having some of the best shuteye he'd had in years thanks to some nifty doohickey that looked like glasses, and today, his master'd been acting like some gloomy husk of a man.

"SHA!"

But he tried his hardest not to reflect upon such things.

"SHA!"

Because at the moment, he was focusing on punching his way through a fucking mountain.

"TYAAH!"

With one last shout, he shot forth his fist and blew apart the last chunk of prehistoric rock keeping him from the outside world. As the cerulean sky's light beamed off the weighted gauntlets he now possessed, he took in deep, exhausted breaths.

Overlooking the vast space of forest from his elevated position, he couldn't help but smile.

"Nice."

He had one last, noisy breather, huffing the fresh air like a drug before regulating himself.

Then, he looked down. If he were on Earth – that's apparently where he was from, he'd learned at the Academy, thanks to some snot-nosed, bug-faced asshat that he'd wound up brawling with – he'd be seeing clouds beneath him. Air was thinner, too, as he barely noticed.

"Wonder if that bozo's still got that stupid expression on 'im..."

Like a suicidal maniac, he lifelessly fell from the self-carved cavern and into freefall, giving himself to gravity. He let himself sail for a few minutes, hands-in-pockets and taking it all in.

Training was hell – he'd jump one hurdle only to run headfirst off a chasm – but he'd gotten stronger. Not strong enough, but stronger. He could punch holes into mountains now, he was THAT strong now.

He could eat whenever he wanted. He could take a walk and not fear death at every turn. People were dicks at worst, but no one was out to use or kill him. Apparently, toilet paper existed. He had it made.

He began to wonder if he even...

No, that question was self-answering. All the horrible things he'd done, yet all he had to do was die one day and bam. This.

He sighed, coated himself in chi – a more refined take on the skydance technique – and blasted off to the camp site.

Upon catching a visual, Neoru let himself go, flipped through a 10-meter drop – it's fun, shut up – and landed, only to find his master in the same decrepit, depressed condition.

"you fuckin serious right now..." he muttered in annoyance.

"OK that's it HEY! KASET! WAKE UP, IT'S BEEN 3 HOURS, DAMMIT, GONNA BE LATE AT THIS POINT!" he yelled.

"huh?" Kaset muttered.

"Hell's goin' on with you?" Neoru crossed his arms. "I had to go off n' do my own damn training 'cus ya been in some kinda rut or some shit since morning, what gives?"

Kaset cleared some grime from his eyes.

"I, uh..."

"!?"

"... I found out about something earlier."

"Yeah, and?"

Kaset held up his head. "I'm... just strugglin' through loss right now. Sorry, man."

Neo's eyes lost their sharp edge. His arms fell to the side.

"... oh."

"Yeah."

Loss.

It fuckin' sucked. A lot.

"But you went off and trained on your own, instead'a waiting. That's what's up."

Neo's hands sank into his pockets. "Yeah."

Kaset gave a lengthy sigh. "I don't know, maybe I'll pull it together once you're outta school, but right now, I-"

"Don't... worry about it. I get it. I'll just bug you tomorrow."

Kaset nodded. "You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Neoru took out a gate, briefly looked back, and vanished.

The older patroller was left in silence.

"..."

His head slowly sank.

"... all they had to do was kick a ball..."

* * *

"Jeez, it must be, like, 2 or somethin' right about now..."

It was currently 7:50.

Neoru's skewed perception of time had been done no favors by his training.

In any case, the star in the sky gleamed a brilliant golden orange upon Conton's waking streets, making it evident that morning was in its glorious prime. The boy even had the pleasure of meeting an old acquaintance on the way to school.

"ah fuck me, not this guy agai-"

"What a coincidence, human!" shouted a lanky, bug-faced chap about 2 meters in height. "Or did you seek me out yourself? Not that I care, because it doesn't change what comes next!"

"dude it's like 4 pm, I gotta go learn about... p cells, or whatever, go do somethin' els-"

"NO EXCUSES! I'll make it obvious that our last fight was nothing but a fluke! There's no way a human could stand to a X-"

"Yeah, yeah, it was a fluke, whatever, just buzz off already," Neoru bluntly replied, hunching away from the last guy he'd fought as part of his training.

"... I... uh... SEE!? SEE, HE ADMITTED IT! YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, EVERYONE! FLUKE! FLUKE!" he proudly, publicly, and pathetically proclaimed to perturbed pedestrians passing his position paralleling the pavement.

I am the greatest writer that has ever lived.

"Didn't that guy make you cry?" noted a stray voice, garnering a wimpy "NO!" from the bizarre lad.

Neoru continued his way. A chip sat on his shoulder all the while.

"... Dammit, I hardly said anything to the guy, either..."

A mental image of Kaset's sorrow-choked expression haunted his memory.

"Way back when, he at least gave talkin'na me a shot... now he's lost someone, and all I could do was run?"

His brow furrowed. "It's not like I COULD'VE said anything that'd help, what's the point of ragging on myself?"

"Fuck's sake, I could've at least tried. Everything Kaset's done for me, and I just leave him out to dry while he's at his lowest?"

He passed a building, its dark shade enveloping him.

"So that's it, huh? I'm still the same, useless brat?"

He paused for a moment.

"... tch, who the hell cares? People die, he's older than I am, he'll get over it."

He gave himself a self-assuring smile, coming up on an alley. "Yeah. It sucks for like, a week, and then you're back on the saddle. 's not like it's my problem, anywa-"

Every hair sprang up. Adrenaline coursed. He started to jump back.

2 hands jut forward, clenched his vest, reeled back, and threw him collar-first into the alley.

"WH-"

 _ **[BGM: Earthside - Mob Mentality (0:48-1:48)]**_

He landed forearm-first, cushioning his rocket-fast journey to the ground before rolling back into a stand and lunging at his assailant on instinct; instantly, he was violently slammed into the cement. His eyes bulged and saliva shot from his mouth, raw impact almost shattering his back.

"You have 5 seconds to tell me everything you know before your neck breaks like a matchstick," the attacker quickly threatened, now pinning his interrogatee down in full-mount with a forearm tightly against his throat.

"Match this, FUCKFACE!" Neoru sneered, forcing the other to veer to the side with an ocular kiai, grabbing the arm holding him down and quickly bridging, flipping the attacker from his higher position and quickly gained control of the mount in the claustrophobically narrow corridor the they fought in. His foe blocked his two incoming punches, took a third to retaliate with a quick hammer to the side of the head, and instantly pulled Neo in by the shirt for a guillotine as his legs wrapped around the abdomen in a triangle. By the smallest margin, he whipped his hands free from the triangle hold.

"Damn it!" the aggressor internally snapped, his wrist slowly being pulled down by the boy he still intended on squeezing info out of.

"Damn it!" Neoru internally snapped, giving everything he had to pull down the wrist, knowing full-well that if he failed, he'd end up asphyxiated or worse.

"What the hell..."

"... Is this strength!?"

Tossing in the first play that came to mind, he suddenly jut out his left arm and slung his right over the assailant's neck, resulting in both the latter's guillotine closing and the former's own chokehold going through; now, they were at least at each other's mercy, and someone had to give eventually.

"kshhh... haaaah..."

That someone, in this moment, wouldn't be his opponent.

"Ah come o-HWAACK!" he wheezed, the guillotine hold somehow growing tighter. The strangler's aura, deep-blue in appearance, briefly rose from him; as if a ripping current were carrying him off, the protruding chi accelerated his limbs forward, loosening his grip to the extent of, at best, a child's hug. Quickly losing oxygen, his vision began to blur, and reality seemed to bend.

And instead of a chokehold, the alley itself had closed in around his neck.

"Give up," the figure ordered. "You're... human, I think. In that case, you've lost too much oxygen to put up a fight. Now tell me, WHERE THE HELL AM I?"

Instead of complying, Neoru began to slow down.

"Calm down... come on..."

Something popped up.

 _ **[BGM: Long Distance Calling - Black Paper Planes (Start-1:40)]**_

He snapped back into reality. With reckless abandon, he used the last of his fading strength to release his own hold and prop himself off the ground with a handstand. His neck feeling less strain from the hold, Neoru grabbed a gulp of air before shooting off his own aura to fight back against the other's current. With that, he quickly reeled back his feet toward his back and forcefully jerked them into the ground in front of him, jolting the two upward and letting him break free from the would-be stranglehold with a fierce nod forward. With no second thought, Neoru threw a back fist, caught by the assailant who'd only-just caught his balance.

"That trick's only working once... he gets me back to the ground again, I'm dead! He's something else down there!"

"I'm mistaken, then; you're not human. Doesn't matter. If you're that intent on fighting, I'll just have to break everything but your throat!" his attacker declared, before pulling the fist, dropping low, and overhead-throwing the boy.

Neoru's mind began to race, and his heart pounded. This form of razor's edge fighting, where one screw-up or a move a second-too-late, and unconsciousness wasn't the worst outcome, it took him back. The fact that nobody noticed the noise they were making, the question that was asked, none of it mattered to him. All that counted was survival.

Even though all he needed to do was tell the figure what he knew.

"I stay off the ground, no matter what!" he resolved, squeezing his adversary's hand while being tossed and landing on his feet as he countered with his own overhead throw. Catching himself along the buildings serving as the alley's walls, said attacker lunged back down, rolling across the ground and springing upward with a fist that turned into a barrage. The way the two began to exchange periodic, focused blows made it clear that this was no casual bout; their heads bashed against each other, elbows and knees flew at bullet-dwarfing velocities as their blocking limbs burned and bruised, the buildings enclosing them became bashing tools, and soon, blood began to flow from their mouths. As the two literally back-and-forth'd, the intensely-humanoid figure – whom Neoru could now see wore a fatigue not-too far from what a soldier from a wannabe-militia would wear – took advantage of an inevitable window, grabbed ahold of Neoru's jacket in a clench and attempted an under-sweep, a move reciprocated with Neoru's knee to his face as he leapt over the intrusive leg.

As he was suddenly dragged toward the ground, Neo began realizing a bit too late that they could work with a reaction like that.

"SORYAH!" he yelled, violently jerking his body through the air before shoving Neoru into the building's side. Every bone and organ quaked; however, the latter hardly had time to scream before he realized what had been done next.

The man in the scrappy uniform had immediately moved into a heel-hook position. Neoru's lower half was immobilized completely.

And the man rolled.

* * *

"You're pulling my leg."

"No, I'm serious! All I did was bingewatch Making Rads, and then-"

The two patrollers' conversation was cut short by a far-off scream.

"What was that?" one asked as they walked past a thin alley.

"Sounded like it came from that creepy alley..."

"Think it was some kind of ghost?"

"You know, with all the dead people walking around here, an actual ghost wouldn't surprise me... But anyway, that's the story of how I got my Galactic Chemistry P.H.D-"

* * *

White-hot agony overpowered his thoughts.

He was seeing blobs as he stared up in a daze, blunt trauma and the surreal, curiously-sharp pain of his ripped leg tendons and dislocated bone culminating into a drunken mental fog.

"That... could've been avoided... If you'd just opened your mouth," the figure aggravatedly stated. "So what about now? Do you still feel like carrying this on until you're resting in your own feces, if your people even do that?"

The pain he felt was intense. But...

In his insolence, he rose.

Grapples like that were always his go-to for stronger opponents. But he always treated it like a last-second weapon, or a finisher. But his opponent's throws, pins, groundwork, locks, they made it clear to him.

This guy LIVED the stuff.

"That's weird, right?" he hissed, pressing himself against an adjacent wall.

"Even after that shitshow..."

He maniacally chuckled, crazy smirk lining his face. The human gears of fear and curiosity clashed against each other as he went against himself, pupils within his violet eyes becoming inexplicable slits.

 _ **[BGM: Long Distance Calling - Black Paper Planes (3:20)]**_

"I still wanna keep this goin'!"

The soldier looked on in bewilderment, as Neoru continued.

"Tell you what. Take this last leg, and I'll tell you alll~ about this fair city. How 'bout it?"

"... I've got a pin on what you are, now. No tail, but everything else is a dead giveaway."

He took a wide, horizontal stance.

"Simple enough. I'll take you down before you get any stronger."

He dashed forward, intent on a clinch.

"OK, let's try that one!"

Neoru suddenly threw himself off the wall propping him up. Kicking his working leg underneath the foe, he quickly grabbed hold, flipped, and threw both he and the grappler downward with a lateral drop that shook the nearby buildings.

"K~AHH!"

"How's that!?" he mentally goaded. As he rolled off and jumped up, before he could gain distance, his vest was once-again grabbed.

"A technique like that with one leg!? That's the only miracle you'll pull off!" the figure shouted, knocking Neo off balance and pulling him in for a throw.

"That again? Good!" he shouted subconsciously, throwing back his straightened arms and shooting forward, simultaneously headbutting his aggressor and shrugging off the jacket. Blood spurted from both their hardened noggins, the two crashing opposite directions down to the ground. Neoru's arms supported him up, as did his foe's, the two throwing themselves onto their feet and diving back in.

"Even with one leg, he's able to put up this much of a fight... Wait..."

He dove down and caught Neoru's leg in between his own two, but the subsequent roll was foiled by his hand gripping the structure beside him as he jumped off and rotated his body off it. The opposition had just enough time to shift his head away from the forceful stomp coming straight after.

"I'm... smiling?"

He dodged an ensuing soccer kick, stylishly jumped off the ground and onto an opposing wall. Neoru, having the same idea, lunged at him, the two colliding and switching makeshift launchpads as they made a steady ascent between the two structures. Each landed a blow just fast enough to avoid an ensuing grapple attempt, Neoru more-so out of necessity.

All the while, the boy in the ripped uniform felt his blood surge.

"So THIS is what that feeling's like? What a place to feel it for the first time... now I need to know about it more than ever!"

His stance changed. A blue aura burst forth, revealing snow-white skin, pointed ears, pitch-black hair with fin-like sidebangs swaying wildly, and a toothy grin as they both reached a height about a jump from their respective building's roof as the morning sun shined down its shifting beams.

"But first.. I WANT to defeat this man!"

He came at Neoru again.

"He stepped things up!" the boy in the white t-shirt cautiously noted. "That's great... I've come up with something!"

He lunged forth, shifting his lower body.

"A KICK!"

The other fighter readied himself, waiting for the chance to leave his opponent with no leg to stand on.

Neoru kicked, sturdier and chi-laced leg swung full-force as the other dangled lifelessly.

"NOW!"

Neoru's befuddled adversary snapped out of it and took it under his arm.

"... WHAT!?"

The leg's light glow faded, returning to its bent and disfigured form.

"DORAAAAAAH!"

He looked up long enough to witness a heel – from that same, 'lifeless' leg – swing across his chin. Ironically aided by his current-like aura, it hit with velocity hard enough to cause a BOOM across a good chunk of Conton City.

"That one took up damn-near everything in the tank; mind, body, AND spirit!" Neoru subconsciously stressed as he spun. "I fucking hate to say it, but... I can't beat a guy like you in grappling."

He reeled back his leg, preparing for a final, confirming kick as his fierce enemy's lights went dim.

"SO I'LL SUCK IT UP AND STRIKE!"

The man began to fade. He'd lost.

But in that moment of unconsciousness...

 _"Tell me... why do you fight?"_

 _"For the good of the cause, of course," he replied, kneeling._

 _"Why not fight for yourself?"_

 _"That's absurd! This battle, this cause, it's everything to me. I don't mind being a weapon if it's for our good."_

 _"But you aren't a weapon. You, and every man and woman here, possesses their OWN will. They aren't simply the weapons of this cause! They press on because it embodies THEIR beliefs!"_

 _His arms suddenly rose._

 _"Stand up, Katlij. A warrior of your caliber fights for their OWN ideals!"_

In his last move before falling, he formed a guard.

One arm raising behind Neoru's heel.

The other rising before his knee.

Right as it impacted.

And Neo saw it all.

"... ah fu-"

.

.

CRR~CK!

.

.

Neoru woke up at the bottom of the alley.

He lifted his upper half off the ground, rubbing the bleeding back of his head.

"The hell-AH!"

The human immediately bent down to nurse – That's "Hold Like a Dumbass" in Neorish – his intense leg wounds.

"The words he said to me before that disaster of a battle... I'm starting to make sense of them."

"eh?"

Leaning aside one of the apartments, formerly stood as a battlefield, was...

"Now then."

Katlij rubbed his nigh-fractured jaw.

"An explanation, if you will."

"..."

Neoru sighed, subtly cursing.

"Well, I guess I'll start with how and why you're here. That goes back to that one purple-haired jackass that I'll guess ya at least saw..."

* * *

"That concludes today's lesson on Time Travel and You!" Krillin chipperly announced. "If you got confused near the end there, don't sweat it! Trunks just WINGED this stuff and look at him! He turned out just fine, right?"

The class devolved into fits of snickers.

Yeah, Krillin managed to win the class over enough to grab another 2 months under his belt.

"Alright, guys, seriously. Make sure to study hard, and train harder! The road might seem steady, but trust me, time's flying by. Well, not really, but uh, you know what I mean. 9 months or, uh, 274 star-rises until this tournament hits off, so-"

BANG!

Krillin's cueball head, followed by many others, swiveled toward the slam's direction.

In the doorway stood two young men who looked fresh out of a morgue.

The one in the dark-grey tribal vest slowly held up his hand.

"Hey, I'm not late, am I?"

"... it's 11:55."

"So I made it?"

"I wrote you off as absent 3 hours ago. And YOU," Krillin pointed to Neo's carrier, "Fit the description of that new kid who Trunks told me escaped him before he could-"

"Yes." Katlij turned an embarrassed red hue. "That's me."

"... See me after class. Which is right now, good luck everyone!"

* * *

So stuff went down.

Krillin was informed of the fight's specifics, there was a stern talking-to about the virtues of keeping a cool head and the iffy ethics of interrogation, much was learned, meaning nothing was learned and they'll probably do it again.

Zinco joined in the scolding. No one asked him, but he sure gave Neoru his 47th stern talking to about why fight = bad, while Kaza offered to help, and then promptly healed the two up.

* * *

"OK, OK, I learned my lesson."

"Really?" Zinco asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, I just gotta remember to NEVER LET YOU KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING, EVER, HOLY SHIT DUDE," Neoru grumbled as he jumped out his chair and stomped out the door.

"And school sucks anyway, get fucked mirrorhead!" he yelled inside the hallway, goading Krillin out his seat and after the brat.

"... oh." As Kaza literally fumed, Zinco smiled.

"I made him learn a lesson!"

All the while the OTHER seated student shifted awkwardly.

"Am, uh... Am I exempt from this?" Katlij asked.

Zinco slowly turned to the pale-faced boy.

"No."

They were still absent, too, that sucks.

* * *

After all that, Neoru chose a high spot to look out into.

That encounter was just what he needed to take his mind off what'd bothered him. But the encounter had been resolved.

Despite everything prior, he was still left with that feeling of weakness. Of impotence.

"You have a knack for making yourself scarce quickly."

He turned. "Oh, it's you, uh..."

"Katlij. Neo, I'm guessing?"

"Neoru, I don't know why the hell people call me that first one. Asshats."

 _ **[BGM: Force of Nature - Just Forget]**_

Katlij took a seat.

"I want to thank you."

"Why? I'd hafta be one piece'a shit for breakin' a deal like that."

"No, not that. My fight with you... helped me realize why I should fight."

"Eh? Whaddo you mean?"

Katlij smiled.

"The man I fought under, some time before the battle which apparently dragged me here, told me to fight for myself. Not as a simple means of service, but because I want to fight. Our showdown taught me that feeling first-hand. Your grit, the speed and force behind your blows, the manic plans you pulled from thin air and executed without hesitation, they made me want to fight on with everything I had. As a warrior."

Neoru gave a puzzled look.

"The fuck?"

"What?"

"I, uh... I just don't get that. I only fight to get stronger, and I need to get stronger to live. If I had it any other way, I wouldn't fight at all."

"Is that right? Certainly surprising, coming from a Saiyan."

.

.

"WHAT?"

Katlij sweat. "I-uh-forgive me, I shouldn't've said something so callou-"

"NAHNAHNAHNAHNAH, YOU JUST CALLED ME A SAIYAN, THE HELL'S THAT ALL ABOUT!?"

"WAIT, WHAT!? YOU'RE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT A SAIYAN!?"

" 'COURSE, I'M... uh... um... C-'COURSE I'M SURE! NO TAIL IN SIGHT, AND I SURE-AS-HELL CAN'T GO BLONDE! YOU WOULDN'T LIKE IT ONE BIT IF I JUST CALLED YA A VAMPIRE OUTTA THE BLUE, WOULD YA!?"

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS, SO... NO!?"

Neoru took that response as a sign to calm himself down.

"Y'know? You're not even the first to call me that."

Katrij wiped off beads of sweat and replied. "I've fought alongside a few in the past. Not many other races can match them in terms of sheer fighting power and lust for combat. On the contrary, humans tended to stick to firearms and equipment. But to find one of your caliber here..." He sighed. "What a bizarre world I've found myself in..."

"Yeah, well, it gets even weirder the longer you're here, so... yeah..."

Neoru resumed his sullen brooding.

"Something on your mind?"

"..."

Neoru shrugged. "Ah, what the hell. Someone I know's going through a lot right now. He lost someone."

Katlij nodded.

"This guy, he... he's helped me out a ton, he's helped give me a life that I KNOW I don't deserve, yet... now that it's my turn to help HIM, I... I feel like there's nothin' I can do."

"... well, what do you want to believe you can do?"

"Hu-"

"Is there really no option? Or are you holding yourself back?"

"I..."

"You talk of being undeserving? Why's that?"

Neoru lightly chuckled. "Finally, an easy one. I'm a piece'a shit who just happened to die and be sent here. I killed people, I stole, I cheated, and yet here I am, livin' it up while the poor bastards in my timeline hafta keep up that same damn fight. All of this is too good for someone like-"

"Stop pitying yourself."

Neoru looked back aggressively. "What?"

"You've done things you regret. Horrible things, things that you can't take back. It's a horrid feeling that I know all-too well from my former line of duty. But you don't take me for a man who'd kill indiscriminately." Katlij balled his fist. "If you made it with your convictions in-tact, you clearly are neither the weakling nor the monster you think you are! So end this forced guilt-trip, stand, and walk forward with YOUR ideals at heart."

"Katlij..."

"..."

"I never said I was weak, shithead! Watch it!"

"UH-I... I, er, just felt it was implied. Pardon."

Neoru picked himself up.

"Still..."

The pseudo fatigue-donning boy, though he wouldn't admit it, had given him exactly what he needed.

"Ya gave me an idea of where I'm lacking, and to top it all off, I've got that extra kick-in-the-ass I needed today because'a you. And ta think, you were the guy tryin'a thank me!"

With a light shrug, Katlij helped himself off the grassy hill overlooking a bit of Conton.

"I may've gone into a pathetic rut not far from your own, if you weren't the first fool I grabbed. The pleasure's mine, my friend!"

Neoru flashed a toothy smirk before sprinting off.

"Welp, time to give a shit and give it a shot!"

* * *

Somewhere along the way, Neoru was stopped by a certain someone.

"Hey, aren't ya the guy who used to teach me about shit before the other bald guy took over?"

Stroga wasn't hurt by that description at all.

"You could certainly say that, yes."

"Whaddo you want? I'm busy."

"You're the young man currently under Kaset's tutelage, yes? He's a friend, and considering a former happenstance resulting in his absence, I was hoping you could relay a message for me!"

"(Wait, this guy knows?) Sure, go for it."

 _ **"IF HE DOESN'T PAY SOON, I WILL MAKE HIM PAY MYSELF."**_

Neoru felt as if he'd died a thousand times, just from feeling a drop of the bloodlust his former teacher exuded.

"U-uh, yeah, sure, no problem, just don't gut me!" he stuttered as he booked it.

"Much appreciated!"

* * *

Neoru eventually remembered how he got to the stagnant timespace, and went through the gate.

"No idea what the hell that guy's problem was, but it doesn't matter!"

He readied himself and flew toward Kaset's ki signature.

"Ta hell with what happens after! I'm at least gonna confront him about this!"

He touched down.

"Alright, here I-"

He had no fucking idea how to describe what he saw.

Wait, no, there was one way.

Kaset was no longer in a depressed funk.

He just looked insane.

As did... whatever that self-made arena was.

"uh..."

Kaset's neck turned 180 degrees.

"que-"

 _ **[BGM: Nujabes - The Stroll]**_

He reappeared in front of Neoru, a holographic screen with "REC" in bold trailing the patroller.

"AY AY, KICK THIS BALL!" he demanded, slamming down a gooey ball into the ground below him.

"WHAT!?"

"KICK THE FUCKIN' BALL!"

Neoru quickly kicked the ball, conveniently past the huge goalpost made of wood.

Kaset proceeded to snap back toward the screen.

"DO YOU SEE THAT SHIT!? THIS FUCKIN, 15 YEAR OLD BOY JUST DID YO FUCKIN JOB FOR YOOOOU! HOW THE FUCK Y'ALL EVER MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS, Y'ALL CAN'T EVEN KICK A FUCKIN' BALL RIGHT!? IT'S NOT FUCKIN' ROCKET SCIENCE, THIS SHIT DON'T ADD UUUUP! I'M FUCKIN' BEWILDEEEERED! HOW THE FUCK YOU LOSE TO, FUCKIN' BULLBATS, THEY TRAAASH! THEY AIN'T WON SHIT SINCE 600! RIPLOKS, RIPOFFS, I CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE ANYMORE, Y'ALL SOWRRYYYY!" he screamed, pacing back-and-forth erratically.

Neoru watched on. He didn't quite know what to feel.

And then things started to click.

"OH, oh man, I needed that today," the senior patroller wheezed, before a tap on the shoulder caught his attention.

"Say, Kaset. That 'loss' you were talkin' about this morning..." began Neoru, grinding his teeth as sizable vein popped out his head.

"You didn't actually lose anyone, did ya?"

Kaset stared with an annoyingly-clueless expression. "What? Of course not." With a moment of reflection, he began grinning. "Wait, I didn't scare you or anything, did I?" he chuckled, ruffling Neoru's hair. "I was just pissed that I'm about to lose money over shenanigans, my bad for scarin' you, Neo!"

"Gh..."

"Neo?"

"GRGH...!"

"... Ne-"

THWACK!

"AH! I SAID I WAS SORRY!" Kaset cried with a new knot atop his head, as Neoru stormed off.

"THAT'S FOR BEIN' SO DAMN CRYPTIC, DIPSHIT!"

Despite the initial annoyance, however...

He gave a small sigh of relief, and smiled.

 _ **[ED: Pay Money to My Pain - Weight of My Pride]**_

* * *

 **Yo! OP Here!  
**

 **I wanted to make a Loss joke with text n' shit here, but this site hates format creativity. It, like, does this thing where if you space letters out l.i.k.e. t.h.i.s. but replace the periods with spaces, it erases the whole thing, it sucks.**

 **Regardless, this chapter's fight segment alone had me going for a few days. Yeah, grappling's cool as hell when you're watching it, but putting the stuff to paper ain't so fun when you know, like, bare minimum. Regardless, new character, 'spect to Sambo with his fight style, he does cool stuff with his aura, yuh.**

 **Yeah, the grapple/Sambo research I did was cool, I guess, but you know helped make this fight FUN? Shootfighter Tekken. That bomb-ass OVA helped me out a LOT more than I wanna admit, and I felt I had to revisit it for this chapter. Check it out, it's like 2 hours long with all 3 episodes combined.**

 **I feel like I screwed up with the music choices, that's gonna forever vex me. Besides that? I really like this chapter. Especially the fight, considering some of the garbage I thought of when I was still drafting.**

 **On that same note, regarding the OP, it'll switch with King and Ashley a lot, considering I feel that this one is Neoru-themed, while the former is Dina-theme. And Kengan Ashura's OPs kick ass, that too.**

 **Next chapter's gonna focus on Dina, here's hoping to that she doesn't turn 1-D over that "Training to Kill This One Bish" stuff she;s on right now.**

 **Her name's Dina, she doesn't like this one big grill with muscles, and now she's after revenge. Suddenly, I'm topical. Hah.**

 **If that had you scratching your head, sorry, someone will probably get it.**

 **I'm only gonna think of other shit to say once this chapter's been published, I suck.**

 **But yeah. See ya.**


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